Wait For It
by ER-OQ
Summary: Regina Mills was never the patient sort. However, after a plan gone awry, she will have to learn this skill if she is ever to reclaim the life she desperately craves. OutlawQueen with a side of dimplesqueen and maybe some regalbeliever thrown in too. This is a multi-verse story and the raiting my change depending on where my muse takes me.
1. Chapter 1

**Don't really know where I am going with this yet but let me know if you like it. The more you talk the quicker I will update :)**

It was another grey, colourless day in Storybooke. Though they all were now that her son had truly seen who she was, who she would always be. It hadn't taken him long to turn on her once he had uncovered the truth and if she was honest sh couldn't blame him. Who would want a mother that had destroyed so many innocent lives and never once showed remorse for it. A mother who once again did the exact same thing only days earlier almost killing her own son due to her unhinged jealousy. It was clear that Henry would never want her back like this and so she did the unthinkable. She broke. The once powerful and evil queen's heart shattered in the bedroom where so many memories of her son were still painfully present. The photo on the side of his bed of the pair wrapped up in several layers of clothing outside on the porch when he was seven, the many drawings and posters that littered his walls despite how many times she had told him not to put blu-tac on the walls and the blanket on his bed that she had given to him the first time she held her son. All now were painful memories of a life she could never again have and one she had no choice but to leave behind. Resolute in her decision, Regina left the room grabbing the blanket and quickly moved up to hall to the master bedroom. It was time to open a portal.

Portals had always been something that existed in each word, whether the inhabitants of said knew it or not. The hardest thing was never finding one, but knowing how to operate it and without her having full control over her magic again this could prove to be trickier than she had hoped. Luckily, she had prepared for the need to a quick getaway by means of a magic bean that she had kept hidden in the walls of her vault. Of course she had always intended for Henry to leave with her but she now knew that was nothing but a fairytale. Another chance at happiness that she had destroyed. She hastened around the mansion, gathering only the essentials for her departure only to once again stop at the room that had once belonged to her son. She took the photo on his bedside table and packed in next to his blanket in her bag and then sat at his heavily cluttered desk. How could she have been so blind as to see his unhappiness? When had she become so much like her mother that she stopped knowing her own son. Though she couldn't truly blame him for his distance and then departure from her. In truth he deserved so much more than she and no matter how many mountains she moved to prove her love it would never be enough for that precious boy. Henry deserved the moon and the stars, to walk a life in the light, untainted by a mothers wrong doings and past demons. He deserved all the things that in truth, she was sure she could never give him. Maybe she was only supposed to love him for a short time, until his worthy mother came back. Seemed fair as she was the unknowing instigator as to why she had to give him up in the first place, why should she being given the honour of raising him? Opening the draw on the right of the desk, she removed a note pad and began to write. Some small part of her hoped that one day, Henry might wish to return to his old room, not for her, never for her. But maybe the confirmation that she was truly letting him go would help him to become the man she always hoped he would. Regina poured her love for him into the note along with the reason she felt she had to go…he deserved that at least, signed it and left it on his laptop for him to find.

Grabbing her thick winter coat and red scarf from the downstairs closet, the woman slid knee high black boots onto her shaking legs and prepared herself mentally to leave the house that for just a small while, finally felt like the home she'd always craved due to a little hazel eyed boy. Wrapping the coat further around her petit frame, Regina inwardly cursed herself for not having a hand on her magic. Winter's in Maine were anything but warm and currently, she was shivering whilst forcing her wind battered limb to continue their track down the isolated route to her vault. Never before had this walk seemed so long, it was as though all her inter turmoil was manifesting itself into the surrounding weather. Having finally dragged herself into her vault and down the stairs, the former Queen took in her surroundings. Let the old yet familiar feeling of dark magic creep back into her soul and envelop her in power. However, something was different now, the power that once would have given her the strength to lay waste to entire armies now just left her hollow and tired. Irritated from the apparent lack of help magic was giving her, Regina started to worry that perhaps this endeavour wasn't going to be as easy as she had thought. Dread started creeping in and the room felt as though it was shrinking around her, forcing her back out into the world of hatred and isolation. Forcing the thoughts back, she made her way through the mirror into her private room and proceeded to remove the false bricks from the wall until she felt the cool, smooth side of a glass bottle. Extracting the bottle slowly, the queen regarded the small bean that was held within that was her possible salvation. Could it really be simple? So easy to once again runaway? Holding out the transparent bean she carefully studied the flow of silver magic within. The clock struck midnight,it was now or never. Lifting her hand above her head she threw the bean to the cold marble floor with all the power she could, opening the swirling vortex when a hooded figure emerged from the back of the room and grabbed arm twisting it to her back. Overcome with panic, Regina lost all use of her body and froze to the spot. How did anyone find her down here? Why would anyone care in the first place? The attackers grip tightened on her arm causing her to collapse onto the floor due to the sheer amount of pain radiating through her body. Why wasn't her magic coming forth? Never had she been in a position of venerability since…no she wasn't the same girl now. That girl had died and from the corpse had risen a stronger far more deadly creature. Biting her lip until she felt the tang of copper, she kicked backwards until her heeled foot made contact with a firm torso and repeated again. The body lost it's grip with a grunt and fell backwards onto the dusty stone. Turning back to the vortex, she grabbed her bag, forgetting the surging pain in her most likely broken arm and ran. Violently thrusting her body into the air, she began to fall into the open floor, believing herself to be safe. She would have been if the mysterious hooded figure hadn't latched onto her leg and allowed themselves to also get swallowed up into the circling vortex until everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Mapped out what will be happening for the next couple of chapters. Once I get further into the story I will begin writing longer chapters but at the moment I'm trying to get a feel for the story. All mistakes are mine.**

Storybook Henry's POV

Henry liked to think of himself as grown up. However, since that day he had almost died due to his own misguided actions, he had felt anything but. It came as a surprise to him how much he missed his Mo…wait no she wasn't his mom, not now and not ever. She just took him in as part of her long planned revenge, he knew this now. She never actually loved him, how could she when she was clearly incapable of such a thing. He felt sick at the realisation that every birthday breakfast, and comic book Sunday was nothing more than a illusion. A way for her to keep him close and under control. That however, did not stop the longing he now felt inside of himself overtime he thought of he face. Her velvet toned voice that soothed his nightmares and her soft hands that would always be supporting him whenever was needed. He crossed his pyjama covered legs on the rickety attic bed and tried desperately to push her out of his mind but no matter where he looked, reminders of her where everywhere. The comic book he was reading she had given to him just before Emma had come to town, the clock tower in the distance that he used to gaze upon from his bedroom window. Even the desperate and confused reflection in the mirror reminded him of her even though they shared no tears threatened to fall down his cheeks at the apparent loss of control he now seemed to have over both his emotions and thoughts. Sweeping everything off the top, he climbed into the slightly uncomfortable bed, pulling the stitched quilt up to his face unable to push away how wrong everything still felt. Closing his stinging eyes, he begged for the darkness to enclose him so that he may be free for a moment. Quickly, his prayers we answered and he fell into a deep slumber missing the flash of purple light outside and ignoring the pain he felt through pierce through his heart.

Enchanted Forest Robin's POV

This was not how today was supposed to go. His orders had been simple, gather information on the evil queen and report back. Never in his briefing was he told to go anywhere near that monster and there had certainly be no mention of interacting with her in any way ( even if it was to stop her crossing back over.) The Queen would be pissed. That was as clear as the scars he had from every other times he'd displeased her over the years.

Looking down at the heap that he knew to be a person on the floor, he realised that the bizarre other clothing she was wearing was no more. Now she was lain on the forest floor in the a huge, imposing black dress worthy of her reputation. Her corset looked to be so tight he almost felt pity for it until he remembered what it was he was looking at. This monster deserved every bit of pain that she was feeling. Be it the broken ribs she seems to be sporting or the nasty gash from her cape he was sure would become infected if not treated. Yes, this former queen deserved everything she had and was about to receive. It was her fault he nearly lost his son and had lost his wife in the process. It was her fault that he now lived in fear and trepidation. Without her curse this would have never happened. Without her it would have never happened. Robin was brought back from his dark thoughts by the sounds of bile being projected outward by the woman still laying hunched on the floor. Although a dark and twisted part of him wanted to watch her writhe in pain, a small shard of his former self still couldn't help but want to tend to her. To make sure that she wouldn't die if left here at least. Cursing himself, he stalked over to the fallen queen and stood towering before her.

'If you wish to kill me, I highly recommend you do it quickly because trust me, when i get the chance… you'll be nothing but a smoking pile of ash.' her voice was strained but still sharp, still provoking him at every opportunity.

'As charming as that sounds m'lady, i don't believe you are in any position to be making idle threats. I know enough about you to know if you had your magic, I'd have been dead back in the other realm.' He smirked through speech, relishing in the fact he'd got the upper hand. ' If I were you I would remain still and silent until I tell you to do otherwise. Wouldn't want to have to report back to the queen that you were dead in the middle of her forest would I?' His voice caught at the thought that now even the peace of the forest was destroyed. ' Stand and we shall access how much….unfortunate damage you have sustained during your re-entry to this world.'

He watched her try to get her self up. Jaw set and both eyes and fists clenched shut. Realising that she would neither get up alone nor ask for help, he hoisted her up abruptly. Now the once powerful evil queen was now stood before him. Or rather about a foot below him. How could a woman with such horror and villainy inside her fit into such a small body. Furthermore, he had convinced himself that years away from magic, her previous horrific acts would have been reflected in her features. Laying waste to the camp fire stories of her ensnaring beauty that he was told not to fall for but this also was not the case. When she opened her large brown eyes, tears swimming in them , he couldn't look away. Never before had he thought someone eyes captured emotion like her for within he saw the obvious hatred and disgust but also….despair and heartbreak. But how could that be? The evil queen has no emotion other than malice, surely tha-

'Are you just going to stand there gawking at me like some confused animal. I am queen of this land. Do you have any idea what I could do to you, even without my magic?'

Her eyes once again bore into his, daring him. Her lips were now forced into a thin grimace and her complexion had taken on a strange greyish hue. Even with all the bravado, something was certainly not right. Moving quickly, he grabbed and inspected the open wound on her face. It was letting a continuous stream of deep crimson blood mar her porcelain face so instinctively he ripped a section of his shirt and held it in place. Catching himself in a moment of humanity, he ordered her to hold the rag and then pressed, firmer than he needed, on her rib cage. Instantly she doubled over in pain, confirming his theory.

'Your ribs are broken. From the looks of things I would estimate at least 2. The castle is a 3 day walk. You wont be able to make it in your current condition We shall make camp for a few day, reset your ribs and then move out at the end of the week. Trust me when I say if you try to run, I will kill you…no matter the cost.' Making his move,he spotted a what seemed to look like an painted photo that must have fallen from her discard bag. He made out the former queen, even if the serine looking woman in the photo held little resemblance to the one before him now. But the young boy…that made no sense to him. Surely he would have been told if she had a son right? He suddenly got the feeling there was more to this queen than he'd previously known.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for this taking so long, I've already got another chapter that is almost finished. I promise it wont be as long for me to next update. A x**

She hated him. Simple. How dare he treat her this way. He obviously knew who she was…is, and yet he still spoke to her in such a way. Regina didn't know whether to smack him or actually be impressed that he had the balls in the first place. This was by no means the first time she had been forced to walk behind a man she'd rather set alight to but, just like all those years ago she was powerless to do anything but. Her magic hadn't returned. She could feel it burning like molten lava through her veins, desperate for release but without avail. Once again she was vulnerable and that was not a state that Regina Mills past or present ever liked to be in. Robin continued to glance behind him to the Queen, completely confused by her. He had heard her legend around the campfire more times than he could count. How she'd send children into witches houses to be eaten and gambled her whole kingdom just to kill her own step-daughter in the name of jealousy. However, the woman with him seemed just that…a woman. Aside from her extremely sharp tongue, he had seen little of her evil nature and Robin was uneasy as to why. What game was she playing? His eyes inevitably fell to where her hands were grasping at her side, knuckles white with force. Could this all just be an act to lull him into a false sense of security? It wouldn't be the first time he'd been trapped by a woman playing damsel in destress. Furthermore, he couldn't let what had transpired happen again, not due to his own again. Yes, this Queen was a continuous puzzle to him but that didn't change his orders or what he knew he'd have to do. Resolute in his decision he pushed on, making his way through the dense, damp forest.

Sweat began to coat Regina's brow as the terrain grew unsteady. She willed her face to remain imposing and most of all, in control. The pain in her side had gotten worse, was making it hard to breathe let alone trek through this bloody goddamn forest. All that could be seen were endless tall, opposing trees for miles. Their thick roots erupting unceremoniously from the ground as though they were trying to trip her. She silently cursed the damp air that had caused her long hair to stick to her face, continuously irritating the still bleeding gash on her face. How anyone could want to live in these woods was far beyond her comprehension. The very idea she'd have to spend the night already had her wishing for her bed back home. Home. Just another thing to add to the endless list of what she'd lost. Not that she could blame him for running. Hell, if she could run from herself she would in a heartbeat. She deserved this fate, whatever it may be.

It had been a few hours since they'd started their journey into the endless forest and the Queen still hadn't said a word. She hadn't demanded an explanation as to where he was taking her, hadn't threatened to raise hell upon him. She hadn't even made a snide comment whilst his back was turned. When he imagined the Queen, this was nowhere close. The fire that burned initially quickly fizzled and she seemed hollow and withdrawn. It was through she was nothing more than a ghost, a shell of the former Queen. What had happened in that other land? Casting his eyes to the skies, he saw the impending night creeping in on the horizon. They would need to set up camp soon before night plagued the land. Even with his position, these lands were no longer safe once darkness spread. 'We shall spend the night in that tree there. Night is quickly descending upon us and trust me, your chances of surviving out here once it does and as good a naught. Are you listening to me?' He spun around, preparing for a verbal spar only to see the Queen's haunted face examining the quarry they found themselves in. She knew this place that much was clear but he didn't have time for this. Darkness was quickly descending.

Of all the places to stop this was the one he chose. Really? Was it not bad enough that she was already back in this cursed land but now she was forced back into the pit where Snow White had once tended to her. Where she had tasted forgiveness and kindness all before it went wrong. As her eyes fell to the tree where they'd camped, a sense of remorse and grief washed over her. Why hadn't she just left then. Lived unknown in the village just like she'd always dreamed. Moved on from her past. Maybe met somebody, had a family and finally found the happiness she'd always so desperately craved. Why had she let one stupid girl ruin her whole life? The inner turmoil that she'd so carefully kept wrapped up for years began to seep through the cracks and Regina knew that she needed to recompose herself before she lost it completely. She was suddenly acutely aware of his eyes burning into her skin, a silent question within them that she never wanted to answer. Turning to face him, her hazel eyes found his questioning blue ones and for a moment froze, feeling utterly naked under his gaze. Her true shattered self completely exposed for his personal viewing before she could slip her mask back on. Pulling her eyes from his she quickly hastened into the tree, firmly fitting her mask back in place.

As he moved towards her their eyes locked and Robin could see nothing but the immense pain and self-loathing that was currently swirling in the Queen's eyes. He could feel the sheer force of her emotion threatening to break through and it rooted him to the very spot he was standing. By the time he had once again gained basic functions, she'd already darted into cover and not a moment too soon. Night was on them and the screeching sounds it brought upon it split through the night. Robin ran into the opening following closely behind the Queen pulling debris behind him to protect them. At least for tonight.


	4. Chapter 4

**Told you it would be up soon ;) It is currently 3:25am as I've finished writing this so no doubt there will be mistakes but I hope you enjoy it nevertheless. A x**

As he delved further into the tree he noted that the Queen had already found her way to the staircase hidden within it and made her way down. He seriously needed to watch this woman closer. It would do him no good to have her disappearing on him. He needed her to secure his own future. A low objective yes but how the kingdom was now, completely necessary. Besides, she was a monster. It would be an act of heroism to see her brought to justice, even if it was by the woman of whom turned this once flourishing land into a living nightmare. He found her sat on a chair in the room hidden far below the earth. The touches casting her frame in shadow. For a moment, Robin regarded the woman in front of him. The feeling of guilt and shame bubbling deep in his soul. When he accepted the job, that was all it was. A job. A way to keep his son safe and with him for even a while longer. However, for all he knew of the Queen, he still felt shame in what was lying in her future…because of him. He was a thief, not a huntsman and not a guard yet he found himself thrust into this position. Even though there was no physical evidence that he'd sold his soul to the devil, he felt in a though someone was crushing his heart from the inside. But he had no choice. His son came first and she was the reason he didn't have a mother. His guilt would dissipate over time in the knowledge that he did right by his boy. Robin was pulled from his musing by the sound of bile being projected forcefully against the floor. It seemed that the Queen had attempted to reset her…broken arm? How did he miss this? What happened to him to have left her in this state for so long? He collected the empty bucket from next to the makeshift bed and tossed it in front of her whilst settling into the chair opposite. 'Let me see.'

'No thank you. You've helped quite enough for today. Anymore of your help and I'll probably end up dead.'

He flinched at the accuracy of her words. Robin hoped that the Queen hadn't noticed. It would be that much harder to get her to the palace if she knew what was to happen to her once their journey ended. Much to his chagrin she did… of course she did.

'Who sent you?' He sent he a dead look and remained tight lipped. 'There is no way in hell someone of your…kind, would have access to a portal. That is powerful magic of which I know you don't wield, so once again… who sent you?'

Robin could feel the anger of old being reignited with every word that left her crimson lips. She didn't deserve to know who was behind her fate. None of them had. But meeting her blazing gaze Robin couldn't help but add more fuel to the fire.

'I do not answer to you. I will never answer to you. If not for you this would have never happened and all of our fates would have been spared.' He spat, squaring her up.

'If not for you the children of this land would have never known suffering, never seen massacres or their home set ablaze. Young men and women subjected to a life of servitude against those they love. If not for you, we would have never known hell.' His voice grew deadly quiet and Regina for the first time, found herself unable to respond. Never had she thought of what she'd truly subjected her people to during her reign nor what would happen to them after the curse. It simply had never mattered. The air grew thick and Regina found herself unable to look up from her heavy black skirt as a single tear rolled down her cheek embedding itself into the open gash on her face. The sting was a welcome feeling if only because she deserved the pain after all she had done. She really was a monster.

'She however, arrived years after the curse from the west. A small village had been protected by her magic but none could remember who she was or how long they had been there. She took control overnight. First of the villages. Tearing them apart then setting them alight regardless of whom was left inside. We all thought it couldn't get worse after those first few months but it did. It always did. None of us heard them coming at first. Their wings silent, hidden under the buzz of chatter. By the time we noticed it was too late and they were upon us. Many lost their lives that night. Many of whom did not even know how to fight. By the time morning came they were gone but the damage was done. Those of us that survived, we changed. We learnt to hid soon as the sun left the sky. We learnt not to fight. We learnt how to survive.' Once he was done with his tale, he moved closer to her and grasped her arm. 'I can reset your bones if you wish and give you something for the pain but we shall be continuing on with the journey in 2 days. On that I will not negotiate for it is not you of whom shall pay.'

Regina turned to look at him confused. Why would he help her after he had made it so apparent that her loathed her? It made no sense.

'Don't think too much into it. It will simply be quicker to let you heal slightly before we start back otherwise you will probably collapse in a few hours and I'd have to carry you which is not part of the job description. Just sit still whilst in tend to your arm and then I shall reset your ribs and I'm afraid, that will be extremely painful.' Robin smiled slightly at that. Unable to rid the black malice in his heart from enjoying the prospect of hurting her. Regina steeled herself and allowed him to create a make-shift splint from fire wood for her arm and drank the concoction of berries and herbs that he gave her. After all, if she was to be dead in a few days what did she have to lose at this point? After instruction Regina lay upon the wooden table after removing her feathered cape, completely at his mercy. Normally, she wouldn't let anybody near her, let alone actually touch her. But she was without magic and in immense pain. There was no way she could even wash herself currently, let alone fight for her life- something she knew she may have to do.

Robin looked over at the small Queen, watching her constricted breathing when it dawned on him that the corset would have to be removed for him to get to her ribs. A deep shade of crimson painted his cheeks with the realisation he'd either must ask the queen to undress or he'd have to do it for her. As she moved over to her, Robin took a deep breath to prepare himself before asking the question he'd surely been charred for if things were different.

'Don't tell me.' The Queen started. 'You need me to remove my corset, right?' His awkward expression gave her the answer she was dreading. 'You have to be kidding me? Was this all part of your plan? Break my ribs with your landing so you could take advantage of my pain. Seems simple enough and with where we are who would come to help me… especially if they knew it was me.' She instantly became that defenceless 18 year old that was forced too soon to become the wife of a man that neither loved nor respected her.

Robin saw her expression harden into one of malice and almost returned her ugly accusatory words until her once again saw her eyes. For in them was not malice or even annoyance but genuine fear, fear of him and his blood ran cold. Just what had this woman life been? Why was she so bloody confusing? One minute serving him hatful barbs, the next withdraw and distant before becoming this scared and pained creature he saw before him. And more importantly, why did it affect him so? Moving towards he cautiously, he lifted both hands up and a sign of trust. 'No matter how much I may hate you, no matter how desperate I may be, I would never subject any woman to that. I may be many ugly things, but nothing in all the realms would drive me to that. I truly only wish to help and I won't be able to feel where your ribs should be nor bind them tight enough over that contraption. You have my word I shall do nothing more. You can either undo them corset yourself or I can cut you out of it. I have a spare shirt that you can put on during if that would make you more comfortable.' Regina didn't trust him, at least not fully but she could tell that he was physically disturbed by her accusation. A reaction she was not used to but took some comfort in.

'You will need to cut the corset.' Her voice came out smaller than she remembered, as though she was still that 18 year old girl that was so despondent to the world. 'I shall put the shirt on first and you can cut it down the back.' As much a Robin hated her, he couldn't help but feel for the woman sat in pain on his table. What had the world done to her? How did she become a monster and was she still one now?

Walking over to the trunk in the corner, he pulled out a large white shirt. Sure, it wasn't the cleanest thing and the scent of pine hung to it like as though it were woven into the very fabric itself. He placed the shirt in front of the Queen and was surprised when she simply took the garment without hesitation and allowed it to swallow her petit frame.

The material fell too loosely over her and for the first time he noticed how tiny she really was and not just in height. He could make out the sharpness of her collar bones, the hollowness of her face and the dark circles under her eyes. Whatever demons she seemed to be fighting we affecting her badly. He almost felt an emotion with a likeness to sympathy for the woman sat in front of him. Almost. Robin approached her slowly and narrated his next movement so not to surprise or frighten her. He kept his touches light as he made quick work of her constrictive corset, seeing her finally able to take a decent breath in as he studied the multiple bruises on her back. Surely they could not of been only today as her back was a patchwork of black and blue and he pulled the destroyed garment from her. Realising she was uncomfortable with his lingering behind her, Robin moved around to face her. Instructing her to lie back and bite down on the piece of wood he put in her mouth, he lifted the shirt above her naval and waited until she granted him permission to continue further. A curt nod followed his silent questioning gaze so he lifted the material until it only covered her chest. From this angle, it was clear where the breakage was from the swollen and discoloured skin that marred the area. It was a miracle with that bloody corset that she hadn't punctured anything. A thought that left him feeling guilty when he realised that if such an event had come to pass, it would be on his conscience.

'Now, I'm not won't lie to you. This is going to hurt. Bite down on the wood and I shall set them as quickly as I can. That tea I gave you earlier should numb the pain slightly but not enough to make this comfortable.' Regina scoffed at this, earning her a very puzzled look from the man standing over her.' Trust me, you can hurt me no more than I already have been.' With this she placed the wood in her mouth and leant her head back, fixing her gaze on the exposed tree roots of the ceiling. Robin lined up his hands and counted down before the sound of cracking and muffled screams filled the room.

It felt as though her whole body was exploding from the force of his hands. She threw he head back and screamed into the wood as she bit down hard and clawed at the table. Trying anything to dissipate the pain but in her frenzy, could only see Henry's sweet face, moving the pain from her ribs and straight into her heart. Finally, the pressure was relieved and she felt herself being tightly bound, supporting the newly set bones. Exhaustion hit her like an avalanche and soon her eyes closed, drawing her into the realm of endless nightmares.


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay so I've got a better idea now as to where this story is going. If you like what I'm writing - fav/follow and review. I really do like to hear back from people and it really does make me write quicker. Sorry for any mistakes, there will be many I'm sure. Currently pulled an all nighter writing this and attempted to proof-read at 7:45 am. Alas I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. A x**

 **Dream Scape:**

Darkness entrapped her. Practically suffocating her in its unrelenting hold. Piercing hands clawed at her exposed flesh, never seen but cutting like a thousand knives. She tried to scream but no noise came forth from her. It was as though the darkness itself was sucking out her power, dragging her further into its despair. Tears stung in her eyes, threatening to fall as she willed herself to remain standing. Warm blood seeped from the wounds towards to ground, pooling itself at her feet. The air thick with the stench. A distant cry could be heard in the distance from a time long forgotten before she was swallowed entirely.

Robin's POV:

As Robin went around the titivating the hidden room, a small whimpering sound broke through the still night air. If not for the absolute silence, he would have surely missed the broken sound. Turning around cautiously, he glanced over to the table where the queen still resided. He studied the erratic movements of her chest and the way her nails tense and released against the splintering wood. Her face was scrunched up as though in pain and her head continuously moved, never fulling resting. Her hairline was drenched in sweat and small whimpers continued to escape her parted lips. He had never thought that the Evil Queen of all people would be affected by something as human as a nightmare. It seemed bizarre that anything could knock this tyrant yet today, he had already seen so many knew shades to her. Robin studied her as though she were a shattered mirror. Beautiful in its destruction but destruction nevertheless. As a guttural scream forced its way through her distressed slumber, her now raw and splintered hand grasped onto his arm. The feeling of fire spread through him as her palm covered the tattoo on his forearm. He needed to shut her up…and fast. It was a miracle that they'd been close to a safe house shelter as nightfall approached but that would do them seldom any good if she acted as a bloody human siren. As he went to pull his arm away, her grip tightened and her body lurched upright. Nails breaking into the callous skin of his arm as hot tears created glistening tracks down the Queen's face. Undecipherable mumbles fell from her lips, growing in strength until he could finally make out a single name. Henry. The name poured from her, desperation corrupting her tone as though this were her only tether to sanity. Gingerly, he tried to sedate her as the threat of discovery grew with every passing second. Panic overtook his senses as the sounds of beating wings and screeches bled through her agony. He lifted the woman from the table and fled under the canopy of flora nestled in the furthest corner. He prayed that the magic of old would still protect her whilst she resided under its cover. Instinctively, he ran his hand through her sinuous hair. His fingers gentle whilst grazing her scalp with every measured stroke. Malicious chatter rained from above. Snarling mouths and hooked claws hunting in the twilight. Holding her ever closer to him whilst pleading to her subconscious, he thought of his son. His warm inquisitive eyes the mirror of his mothers. His smile reminiscent of the summers brightest sun and his laughter the sound of the bird's chorus at dawn. He thought of the life he wished they could have had and prayed for the one he wished his son to have. Turning his head into the Queen's he heard the beasts ripping away the vines and branches that covered the entrance to their hideout. He felt the ice cold draft pierce through his skin whilst their impending doom stormed through the defenses. Dank fur and stale blood drowned them in its thick musk, clear in what it brought. Death. The Queen was still screaming and clawing her way further into him when all noise ceased. Robin felt his whole world stop. The colours becoming muted as his heart pounded in his ears. A delicate hand rose to cover his heart as the door burst open and hell was unleashed upon them. Dozens of winged beasts surged through. Their sharp yellow teeth displayed in a disturbing smile, snatching in attack. Wings flapping in an uncontrollable hurricane of horror. Long talons searched for fresh victims. Beating on their fur clad chests, the unprecedented war cry of this disfigured breed finally split through the Queen's slumber. Terrified whiskey eyes met his own, panic set clearly in them. She looked down to her hand, still resting over his heart and pulled it back as though she'd been burnt. Hostility radiated from her as the imminent fight loomed and for a moment, they could do nothing but wait for it.

Regina's POV:

She felt as though she was falling through endless nothingness, screaming for help when something caught her. Felt her weight being supported in this dystopian world. Felt a tender touch caress her head. Felt her hand rest against something in the nothingness that ignited the fire within her. Suddenly, an inhuman blast shattered the illusion and she was brought back to the realm of the living. Her eyes sprung open and her breath hitched as she saw what lay ahead of her. Numerous what looked to be…winged monkeys were preparing themselves for battle. Their bodies showed the scars of past events but she knew it that moment, there was no hope. She had no magic. No weapons. No idea of how to fight even one of these creatures let alone the small army that stood before her. Impulsively, she huddled into herself when she noticed the arms holding her were not her own. Glancing upwards she met the crystal blue eyes of her entrapper and was taken aback by the fear she saw in them. What was this world she had fallen so unceremoniously into? Regina felt a warm spark following through her body, radiating from the very hand that was currently lay upon his chest, directly over his heart. She ripped her hand away at the realization but the spark remained there. Just below the surface. Humming. Like magic. Turning herself around to their impending doom she squared her shoulders and fixed her best sneer. Mentally, she apolagised to Henry. She apolagised for who she was, who she became. For what she put him through and prayed that he got the life he deserved, even if that wouldn't be with her. Regina kept his beautiful face in her mind as she looked into the face of death.

With a single breath, the hoard propelled forward in their nightmarish formation. A tyrant of frenzy and malice too dark for any one person to withstand. Regina remained rooted in her spot. There was simply no point running this time. She had nothing left to live for. No one else to go. Slowly, she counted down from 5 and waiting for the end to finally meet her. 5…the mass of fur tore through the hole where a door once stood. 4…It destroyed the simple wooden chairs where they sat only hours ago.3…They ripped the table apart, branding the splinted wood as though swords. 2…Straw tore through the air adding partially obstructing the oncoming attack. 1…She could feel their hot rancid breath on her face.0. They lunged forward. Teeth poised…talons bared. Cries of vulgarity as they finally caught their prey. But she felt no pain. In fact she felt an odd tingling feeling and a sense of calm overtaking her. Before she could register what was happening, a beam of white light burst from her and up into the surrounding flora. Cocooning the couple in bright white light. The smell of singed fur and charred flesh enveloped her senses, turning her stomach more than she'd ever admit. The sight of mangled bodies, too close the light, littered the floor ahead of them as their fellow cluster fled back into the night in defeat. Not even Regina herself could explain what was currently happening. Never had she possessed light magic nor did she call her own forth which left the question. How did they survive? As she spun around the man she still didn't know the name of, she couldn't help but take in the awe she saw painted across his face. So he had no ideas either it seemed.

Hours past and the night finally gave way to the day. Neither had spoken of what had occurred that night. They had simply sat inside the protection field and at some stage, fallen asleep there on the floor. As Regina awoke that following morning, she felt a deep, sharp pain through her ribs again. Sleeping on the dirt covered ground definitely did not help when it came to refusing her bones back together. As she tried to push herself into an upright position, she couldn't help the harsh hiss that left her mouth in protest. It seemed she was destined to be stuck on this godforsaken ground forever. Or at least until she was carted off to be executed. Cynically, she laughed at the position she found herself in. Why couldn't she have died last night in the raid. It would have been quick and over by now. The feeling of marching towards her doom annoyed the fuck out of her. Especially now she had given up on her will to fight. Regina was brought out of her musing by the sound of rhythmic tapping by the man sat opposite. She was not sure how long he had been awake, probably all through the night if the dark shadows under his eyes were any indication. His eyes studied her closely. His brow creased in deep thought, only amplified by the way he bit his bottom lip in concentration. The intense gaze made Regina uncomfortable for she didn't know as to what answer he was searching so desperately for. She went to move again only for the attempt to completely knock the wind out of her.

"If you continue wriggling, you will only prolong the healing process." His voice left no room for discussion however, when had that ever stopped her. Once again she tried to sit up, this time using the wall as support only to have the pain return tenfold.

"I swear to god. Every time I think you couldn't be anymore stubborn you surprise me."

"Well it's good to know I made an impression. Always important." She teased through grit teeth. Realising that this particular woman wasn't going to stop until she either reached her goal or hurt herself in the process, Robin lifted her up.

'How dare you touch me! Filthy peasant. I am your Queen. Show some respect unless you don't wish to see another sunrise." She sneered in his face, daring him to continue. Desperate to realise the typhoon of emotions she currently had brewing inside of her. He met her glare with one of his own, refusing to be threatened by her.

"You" he started "Are no Queen of mine. You didn't deserve that title then and you don't deserve it now. These are no longer your lands so…" He lifted her and set her against the wall behind "you are no more important than I." An infuriating smirk grew on his face as she simply learnt further into the wall and took in her first proper breath. For a time, she studied the exposed roots that acted as a ceiling/room to the now destroyed safe room.

"How did you do it. How did you save us?" Regina readied herself for yet another series of back and forth but was genuinely taken aback by the lack of accusation in his tone. If she was honest, it threw he off for a moment.

"We should have died last night" he continued "and trust me I am not complain with this rather fortunate change in events but…I have never seen magic as powerful as that. At least not protective magic. Furthermore, you hadn't any magic so forgive but I don't understand as to how we are still alive." The look of puzzlement matched perfectly with the expression his face wore when she awoke. Obviously, this question has been plaguing him for hours. Regina herself didn't know the answer to his question. At least nothing more that parts of speculation. Soul magic and what not but that seemed impossible.

"I don't know what happened last night." She told him honestly. I had no intentions of creating a shield and I've never created one on instinct. Especially not from light magic of all things. It just came out of me and I couldn't stop it." Regina began playing with a loose thread on her sleeve before she added "I don't even know how we got over there. All I remember was you resetting my ribs and then waking to see those beasts. Everything else is gone." She remembered the feelings of hopelessness and despair alongside a tenderness that brought the feeling of fire but that was nothing to do with him.

"Well that m'lady, I can indeed answer for you. Shortly after I set your ribs you passed out on top of the table. I had hoped the tea would have done more to numb the pain but, herbs are scare nowadays. A while after you began calling out in your sleep, screaming over and over for someone named Henry." At this she whipped her head up, desperation and embarrassment marring her features. "I wouldn't have moved you but with the ruckus you were creating, it alerted out guests of last night as to our location. During your years as Queen, fairies enchanted trees such as this one to hide villages from your Black Guard. I had hoped that there may have been something…anything left that would have helped us." Upon hearing the events of the night previous, Regina was mortified with how much he had already seen of her. Not even Henry had been aware of her nightmares. Oh god Henry. She called for him so desperately that she'd caused last night's events. She was a complete disaster and needed to focus on something else before the wave of guilt and loathing hit.

"Can I see what those moths used to protect dirty criminals during my reign?" He fixed her with a pointed glare but did as she asked still. The flower itself seemed ordinary at first glance but as she looked closer and split the steam down the center, thousands of tiny diamonds shone through. Sneaky. Hiding pixie dust inside of flowers. This was Blue's doing most certainly which meant Snow must have been here at some point. Regina thought that this realisation would bring white hot anger but it didn't. In fact, it didn't affect her at all. The pain in her heart over the loss her son – because he was her son, no matter what anybody else said. Not even what Henry may now- left no room for the trivial hatred of Snow White. It left no room for anything but guilt and self-loathing.

Regina wasn't sure how long her dark thoughts consumed her but eventually Robin asked of the flower that now lay crumpled in her lap. 'The flowers had pixie dust running through them however it cannot be tapped into without light magic. Probably a precaution against me no doubt. However, they must have mistaken my stored magic as none threatening allowing unknowingly linked my magic with them in my…unconscious state. That's the only explanation I can come up with. As to why it was so powerful, I don't know. There are no known books or documentations of light and dark magic working coherently together. It must have been an anomaly." She studied his face as he mulled over her theory, his brow once again scrunching up and he bit his lower lip. Finally, he accepted the half baked idea as the closest thing to an explanation he was going to get. Running his hand through his dark blonde locks, she noted the fabric that he'd tied around his forearm. She rose her eyebrows in silent questioning and motioned towards to offending items. He glanced at his arm before a wide smile broke out across his face and he turned back to her, eyes dancing in amusement. "That m'lday, would have been all your doing. You turned out to be a little rougher last night than I'd previously anticipated." His smile grew with the innuendo. Enjoying the way Regina averted her eyes away with a short sarcastic remark in a futile attempt of cover. He laughed at her quip before scanning the room. He explained that it wasn't safe for them here. The beasts of which fled would have returned to their master and by nightfall descend upon them once again. There was another safe room not far from here if you continued through the forest heading north. Normally it would not take more than a few hours but with her injures and no doubt the tightened security, it would most likely take them up to mid-afternoon. A few hours before dusk so they had to get moving soon if they wanted to live. Resolute in the knowledge that she couldn't get out of this, she allowed him to help her stand and after the small morsels of food he's acquired they left.

Robin's POV:

As they left the tree that had sheltered them the night before, Robin now found himself even more confused about the woman he was travelling with. He knew that he shouldn't want to know her story. Shouldn't get involved but she was a puzzle that he wanted to put together. A mystery he so desperately wanted to solve. He closed his hand around the pendant still in his pocket, not exactly sure as how to broach the question he so desperately wanted to ask. However, if he'd learnt anything over the past 24 hours it was that this woman needed time and space. He had to tread carefully if she was to tell him anything of actual importance. Hell, he didn't even know her name yet. None of the legends saw fit to tell of anything but her beauty and blackened heart. Spinning tales of her destruction but never any solid reason as to why. He believed them of course. It was hard to ignore what was happening at that time whether you were involved or not. Before this mission he had never seeked the answers as to whom was the woman behind the moniker. Until yesterday he had never seen the need but then again, he'd never met her. She walked a few paces ahead, every now and again asking as to which direction to go in. Always alert in her surrounds as though waiting for an ambush. At first glance, the Queen seemed a force of nature. Unpredictable, dangerous but with a certain beauty to it when viewed from afar. From where he now stood, he could see the cracks in the mask. The pain she tried so had to hide. The fear she refused to let show. Even now as she walked through the forest, her face was the picture of composure and her posture every bit of the Queen. However, if one was to look close enough they would see the wounded arm hidden behind a heavy cloak, the way she favored her right in an attempt to remove pressure from her left. Would see the broken skin on her face she'd attempted to heal and the redness of her eyes reminiscent of the inner demons she faces at night. Yes, there was far more to this Queen than Robin had ever previously believed. In the distance, Robin could see the next village just a valley over. It was likely that they would encounter people in the forest from now on meaning he had to talk to the Queen about a plan she was not going to like. She wasn't going to like it at all. 'M'lady," he started jogging in front of her, "as you can see there is a village in the next valley. Many of the locals travels these trails in hope of food or goods and they cannot know who you are." Regina gave him a pointed look, waiting for an explanation. "If they realise it is you, there will be a riot. I know it sounds crude but I have to be the one to deliver you otherwise it is I that shall be punished. This was my mission so it shall be my punishment. The Queen set her lips into a thin line applying so much pressure they turned white. He could see the wheels turning in her mind as she took her lower lip into her mouth. Meeting his gaze once more she looked ready to scream at him until a look of understanding washed over her features. "They have someone. Someone you love dearly. It's not you they are threatening but somebody else in your name. I'm right aren't I?" The conviction in her voice told him there was no way she would believe anything less than the truth but could he trust her with this? Could he trust her with him? 'My son. She…she has my son. And I'm sorry but I cannot, I will not lose him because he is everything to me."

"What do I need to do?" Robin looked at her, completely in awe. How could this woman be willing to go along with one of his crazy schemes? She had no reason to trust and no reason to help him. As he went to question her actions, he suddenly noticed something he hadn't before. The look of torture that remained undecipherable until you too had the same fate. It was the look of a childless parent. The look of eternal suffering kept away from the world in private grief. The wish to have done better by them but still to keep the precious time you had together. Yes, Robin knew this look well as it was the one he saw every time he looked at his reflection. The Queen was helping him as a mother without her child. A mother torn away from her son. "Henry." Robin looked at her in confusion so she elaborated. "Henry is the name of my son. The son I left in the other realm. The son I left to forget about me."

She pulled her cloak tighter around her petite frame as though it were her only anchor to this world. "I already lost my son so if I can help someone else find theirs, then I will. So, what do you need me to do?"

Robin's plan, he'd admit, was not the most original but it was the most likely to work. It was understated and heavily tested. The pair of them needed to pass for a married couple that were just stopping in the village overnight before they moved on to visit family. They needed to act so in love that no one would question them too deeply. In fact, they needed to act so in love no one could stomach to be around them for too long. However, this plan always worked better when both parties could actually have a conversation without actively trying to one up the other or maybe…knew each other's names! As he explained his plan to the Queen along with the reason as to why they had to stay in the village, Robin could see he temper rising. The vein in her forehead began to throb and her uninjured arm kept flexing and tensing in a fist. The controlled, overly so, time of her breaths alongside the was she'd locked her jaw firmly in place had him waiting for the shit to hit the fan. With one deep breath, she unleashed her fury against him.

Regina's POV:

He wanted her to do what? Of all the stupid, insensitive ideas he could have chosen that's the one he picked? For nearly 10 years she'd been forced be the wife of a man of whom did not love her. A man that didn't even respect her enough to not call her his dead wife's name. To celebrate, enquire or even talk to unless it was for show or other less pleasant activities. The thought of having to walk on the arm of a man that once again didn't love or know her anymore than the first had a burning anger rising in her. The more he tried to justify it with experience and safety the lesser her will to not explode became. As he stood there gawking at her with a nervous smirk she was so close but, it wasn't until he questioned if she had any problems with the plan that she lost it.

Finally, the typhoon inside broke out and sought to annihilate everything it its path. Starting with the very man stood in front of her. Vile insults and mayhem was thrown on him quicker than a summer downpour. Attack after attack was launched at him with no breaks in between to assess the damage. Regina was caught up in a storm of her own creation and she could quickly feel herself shattering from the inside. There was no way he could have known about her marriage or the trauma it left behind. No way he could know that being told to smile and be pleasant was forever branded into her memory by her mother's own form of discipline. There was no way but it had gone too far to now be stopped until she had finally gotten it all out. Eventually, the shouting turned to cries which fell to hiccups and tears poorly hidden. And he just stood there. Unmoving. Regina surveyed the area surrounding them, surprised to see no physically evidence of her destruction anywhere. But that didn't mean she didn't see it in his eyes. In the way, he hadn't spoken a single word as she unleashed her innermost demons upon him. Regina went to walk away, giving them both a moment to collect themselves and make sense of what just happened. Much to her surprise, he placed a firm hand on her arm to stop her from leaving and guided her to a nearby fallen tree. Sitting to face her, he fixed his gaze upon hers before beginning. 'I do not know what has happened to you in your past but I do not wish to hurt you. I know that due to the nature of our meeting and where I must take you gives you no reason to trust me but I do not wish to hurt you m'lady. You now know why I must do what I am to do. For my son. In my position, I am positive you would do the same for your own son. Honestly, yes when I took this job I suspected it would be far easier. You had no magic, no weapons and were not expecting an ambush. I thought I could just deliver you as I would a sack of grain and feel no more remorse as I would have my son safe. However, in these past 30 hours you have proved to be anything by easy or simple. I don't even know your name and yet I want to protect you even after I know who you are. What you have done and it scares and confuses me to no end. I truly wish I could return you to the other land but it is now too late I fear. Your presence in this land is already known. One hears stories on the wind of your returns. That is why I created the scheme I did. I did not create it to harm you in anyway but simply because it was the safest way I knew. If it truly makes you uncomfortable I will come up with another way to keep you safe this night. I swear on my honor."

Regina didn't know if it was his heartfelt words or conflicted thoughts but in that moment with him, she felt safe. It was not a feeling that made sense to any rational part of her brain but it was there nonetheless. He kidnapped her and dragged her back to the enchanted forest (using the portal she'd already opened to that exact place), he'd shown he no little kindness upon their first meeting (though nor had she) and he completely confused her to no end. However, he hadn't let her die and he could have. He'd tended to her injuries (even if a little too much force was used) and he seemed just as mixed up as she was currently. So, for once she ignored the voice in her head and trusted that feeling. Leaning her head on his chest, she allowed herself to cry in such a way no one had seen since she was 17, crouched over Daniel's body. She allowed herself to feel and express what she could not say aloud. Soon after, she felt a pair of arms bring her closer to him as he simply offered his comfort all the while instinctively running his fingers though her hair once amore. Regina felt the tension leave her body and a sense of calm beginning to filter in. The pain over Henry was still present but it for a moment, it wasn't suffocating her. Wiping the tears falling from her face, Regina turns her head away from him. "Regina. From now on that is what you may call me."

"Regina." He speaks it aloud in his accented voice and for a moment, she believes her name has never sounded more beautiful. "It suits you…Regina." He smiles at the fact he can now use her real name. He probably didn't know it until that point.

"And yours?" she prompts.

"My what?"

"Your name. What am I to call you?"

"Robin. Just Robin."

"It's nice to make you acquaintance Robin. How about we carry on into town, nightfall is not something I wanted to experience again."

Robin nods understandingly at that, himself too wishing to avoid any further problems and so he continues to lead her towards civilization, not knowing what is about to unfold.


	6. Chapter 6

**This chapter got re-written about 5 times but I am finally happy with the direction it is going in. Hope you enjoy this update, the next one is already half-finished so should be out a bit sooner but I also have a ton of work to do so it may be a couple of weeks. Anyway, happy reading. Please review and follow as it makes me very happy and keeps me writing :) A x.**

Robin POV

The memory of her pressed up against him, completely vulnerable, was still affecting Robin far more than he'd ever wish to admit. The lingering scent of vanilla and cinnamon that clung to her beautiful hair, his fingers itched to once again feel. The protectiveness he suddenly felt envelop him once she fit perfectly into his arms, wincing slightly due to her injuries. The way her eyes shone with a thousand emotions, just waiting for him to explore but fearful of what that may bring.

In his mind, he knew that whatever had happened back there would not…could not happen again. It just wasn't safe for either of them. But he couldn't ignore how drawn to her he was, or how his heart only beat faster when she finally stood before him, completely open. Now that he had finally seen the woman beneath the Queen's broken exterior, he desperately wanted to know her. This should have never of happened again. Nothing good ever came from him caring for someone, especially someone so far out of his grasp. History could atone to this exact fact. Only years previous, a beautiful and free spirited woman gave her heart to him only to have him forced to lay in the ground shortly after alongside her. As Marian was of noble birth that was true, but she was certainly not a Queen.

Robin knew that whatever was developing would need to be severed for both his heart and his son's protection. He needed to keep to his word and deliver the Queen or the only thing keeping him tethered to this hell would be ripped from him. But Regina's life for Roland's no longer seemed as fair as it did a few days ago. It was easier when he could picture her as a simple villain. A monster of whom hurt other people for her own malicious pleasure but, as always, the truth had destroyed this plan. Since the moment he met Regina, this image had instantly faded away no matter how hard he tried to grasp onto it. Trying to keep her this singular dimensioned woman was alike to holding fire in your bare hands. Yes, she had a temper of which was more akin to a natural disaster, beautiful and powerful, than just a simple emotion. But, she also had an immense pain that she'd continuously carried. Always threatening to suffocate her but never showing any mercy in doing so. An eternal state of emotional limbo.

The Queen once may have laid waste to these lands but it was clear to all those with eyes that this was no longer true. For all her barbs and remarks, she'd never attempted to hurt him and even bruised, broken and magic-less, the queen of legend would have tried something by now. However, it didn't change what in his head he knew he was yet to do. He just wished his heart hadn't started making things so complicated for him.

Pushing traitorous thoughts far away, Robin focused on the winding trail ahead. The seemingly ever-thickening trees could disorientate even the most experience tracker if they did not remain completely focused. Unfortunately, since the curse, thieves and bandits were known to haunt these parts of the forest, making use of the natural cover. Attacks since his thieving days had only worsened as the land had. No longer were there thieves fighting for the people but rather taking what little they had left to survive themselves. Out here no one was safe anymore.

Casting his gaze sideways, he examined the garment she was still wearing. Long gone was the corset, torn and forgotten before the attack. With a smirk, he realised she was still wearing his shirt having tucked it into her skirt. Images of her waking in the morning wearing nothing but his shirt and a smile flooded his head before he had a chance to reel his vision back in. Robin couldn't understand why she was having such an effect upon him. Since his wife's passing, he hadn't so much as looked at another woman in his grief abut then it all changed when he saw her. The initial fire brought something back in him that he'd thought long gone. No longer were his days a mindless, painful state in which he hoped to survive. Now, he felt the need to fight with her, maybe even for her. What had this woman done to him?

Rubbing his hand over his face, he attempted to not dwell on the questions he really should be asking himself. Looking back to the Queen, he made a mental note to change her dressings and bindings, even though he'd redressed the before they'd continued their journey and although she was trying to hide it, they were itching which was never a good sign. It was too easy in this bloody realm for infection and disease to run rampant and with limited supplies, he didn't want to take the chance. They were to be peasants for the night, a note Regina was sure to love once he told her. Therefore, blending into the normal hustle of village life was a must. Trailing his look downwards, he realised that the skirt she was wearing was anything but and alongside her cape they may as well have asked to be targeted. The people didn't have clothing like this when the lands were prosperous so such finery would arouse suspicious. No, she would need to change before they arrived if his plan was to work.

He bit his lower lip, stifling a smirk as he once again began thinking of how well this was going to go over with her majesty. By his calculations, they still had a few hours to make it to safety before night fell but it would be close so he'd better come up with an idea soon. Robin knew there was a safe house nearby, somewhere, only he couldn't remember exactly as to where it was. An old lady and her granddaughter used to live there before the curse hit and as far as he knew it was still standing.

"Are we lost?" Her voice cut through the silence, straining in discomfort but the sass coming through clearly.

"No M'Lady, we are not lost. I am simply trying to navigate our way to a small cottage for supplies before reaching the village's threshold." Robin tried to keep his voice calm as he surveyed the forest, looking for any clues as to where the haven may be. Minutes past and Robin's frustration was bubbling over. How could he not remember where this bloody house was? It should be an easy task for someone of his experience and he'd been there enough times in another life. These woods were once his home, his solace. Surely, he couldn't have fallen so out of touch with them.

"You wouldn't happen to be searching for the cottage of the wolf, would you?" Robin spun on his heels to face her, shock clouding his features as she stood there, eyebrow arched and a smug look on her face.

"It shouldn't come as a surprise to you, but I know the lay of my own lands. After all, how is one to rule without such basic knowledge of what they own? I know the cottage of which you speak though I am not sure to its standing. The curse…. The curse was designed to destroy as these lands." Regina cast her eyes downwards ending her statement, the challenging smirk giving way to something darker. A bitter laugh escaped her lips before she was lost once again to the demons of her past. How he wished to ease her burden, even for a minute. A second. What would it be like to see her smile or to laugh. How long had it been since she had? Just as quickly as the look came, it went, leaving only the façade behind once more.

"If I am correct, it is only a short walk following the path of red poppies to the east." Regina pulled ahead, her long skirt trailing behind her as they once again fell into silence. He so wanted to bring up what had happened earlier but, he feared she'd only run from him. Or worse, what if she didn't?

Suddenly, an arrow whizzed through the air and set itself firmly into his shoulder. The dull thud of impact reaching his ears only a second before the pain registered and he felt the full effects. Poison he was sure was corrupting his body, contorting his physique in unnatural hues and angles. He cried out for Regina to run, hide but he could already feel his voice failing. Thrusting his hand backwards, he went to pull the offending item out only to have another unceremoniously slice through his side before finding its home in the trunk of tree he'd braced himself against. They needed to find shelter now! She needed to be safe! Black and red spots started to infringe upon his vision as his heartbeat radiated through his skull. He attempted to push his sluggish body forwards whilst trying to once again call for her.

Soon however, his legs felt as though they had fused to the very spot he stood, any attempt to move was futile as a wave of vertigo coursed through his body. A hand wrapped around his hip, pulling out the dagger held there but the action, too much for his current state, landed him on the moss-covered ground. 2 black shadows were ahead of him, another jumping from the tree overhead. The 3 appeared to be sizing one another up before they were engaged in a dance of knives and swords. The unrelenting sound of metal and screams froze his blood as he lay there in the dirt, helpless.

He only wished that Regina was far enough away for he knew; she wouldn't be given the same quick end he would. He whispered her name as the darkness began to pull him further down. He focused on a lone figure making its way cautiously to him, weapon still firmly in hand. Robin once again focused on his son as he waited with baited breath for the final blow to come. He felt the spray of debris shower onto his face as the shadow fell before him, the memory of her scent on the wind and her touch upon his face as the end painlessly came.

Regina's POV

Marching ahead, she felt a sense of embarrassment continuously hound her. It was for his own good that she needed to pull away now, create clear boundaries early on. For some reason, she already trusted him more than anyone else in the last 30 years aside from her son. He'd already managed to see her weak, broken…in pain. She'd barley known him 2 days and she'd cried on him for god's sake. Obviously, the loss of her son and her loneliness had manifested itself into an unchecked and dangerous attachment to the very person keeping her hostage...kind of.

Regina knew what Robin's orders were. It didn't take a genius to figure it out and she could already see the strain it was having upon him. How had her actions all those years ago led a man such as him to this? Just who was this figure that had taken power in her absence? Regina knew it took an unfulfilled darkness to prey upon a child for one's own agenda, that she knew from first-hand experience. No child deserved the threat of death, especially when the threat was little more than a power move. Robin was a good man, better than most she'd known from what she'd experienced. Even when they'd first met, before he'd known anything about her other than stories, he'd been at war with himself over hurting her. Regina could see the conflict as though it were there written upon his face for her to read. It wasn't right that he and countless others were in this position for what she'd done those years ago. Her thoughts continued to run further into the dark corners of her mind, her hands pulling on her binding in desperation from herself.

Regina could see Robin helplessly searching for something. Obviously, he had spent those prolonged silences in thought same as she. Once she'd begun leading them to Granny's old cottage of all places, she felt a change in the air. Her magic, though still trapped within, began humming to life as it always did with danger. She saw the arrow just before it sunk into his back.

His beautiful face grimacing as the wood lodged into his shoulder, sending a scream to run from his mouth. Lifting her skirt, Regina began to charge forgetting momentarily about her still fusing ribs. The pain ripped her apart, almost causing her to once again vomit. She couldn't run. There was no way that she'd get away and there was no one else to help her. As she turned wild eyed, Robin's black veined skin caused everything to stop. It was happening again. She was the reason that another that dared show her any kindness was now suffering. All she could see was Henry and Daniel, their beautiful trusting faces turning to looks of disgust for what she was. What she would always now be. There was no way that there would be another little boy left without a home due to her mistakes.

She dragged herself behind him as he began to rock on his feet, clearly delirious from the poison making its way through his system. Regina spotted the assailant coming out from beneath a canopy of shrubs. Sword brandished ahead of him. Instinctively, she pulled the dagger from Robin's belt and watched as he crashed to the floor. For reasons, she did not fully understand, she would protect this man. For his slightly jagged and confusing exterior was no reason for him to die and besides, he had someone depending on him. She had no one anymore. If she was to die back in this dreadful place, she wanted to die fighting for something (or someone) she believed in. Summoning the Evil Queen within her, Regina put on her worn internal armor and met the thug face to face.

Lifting her head upwards, Regina straightened her back, forcing herself through the fire of pain. This was no time for weakness. If she was going down, she was taking this bastard with her. The Queen bared her teeth as she too displayed her weapon. This poor delusional fool had no idea as to whom he was dealing with. Magic may be her forte but that never meant she wouldn't fight if she had to. If she needed to. The man was easily over 6ft, towering her 5.6 frame, he wasn't overly broad but was strong with powerful legs. There was a singular scar that went from above his eyebrow straight through to his jawline. Green eyes ogled her in a smarmy fashion as his lips stretched into a disturbingly smug grin. His greasy black hair fell below his shoulders, matted and unkempt. As he continued to study her, she was taken back to her early days as Queen when many a man would give her the same look currently displayed upon his face. Regina's grip upon the dagger tightened as she let the pain of her past fuel her rage towards him. The action only seemed to amuse him further.

"Are you going to defend you poor, helpless friend my dear? Such a shame but you know, these are… dangerous parts. You never know what, or who you're going to find. A pretty thing like you won't last long."

His rancid breath was too close to her face and his hand went to grab her waist. Thrusting Robin's blade upwards, she sunk it deep into the underside of his arm before removing as she reeled backwards. Instantly, the lust in his eyes turned to fury at the unexpected turn of events.

"You will regret pulling a stunt like that my dear. It doesn't bode well to aggravate the beast, especially someone of your kind" His words were borne with such contempt, it appeared the very spit from his mouth was acid but the deranged lust did not disappear. In fact, it appeared the more she resisted, the more she was enticing this monster.

As the Queen went to retort, another figure fell from the sky next to the brute. Though he was smaller in all respects, there was a glint on unhinged madness that shook her to her very core. Men with that look had no rules or honor they lived by. Men like that were the reason she became Queen in the first place. As she cast her gaze back to Robin one final time, they attacked.

Regina ducked as the first sword swung above her head and took a chunk out of the neighboring tree and she stabbed the dagger into the attempting to force her down. A hand dragged back on her cape, threatening to strangle her as she went to force the clasp open. Taking advantage, the scrawnier went to pull her beneath him but one well-placed kick had him staggering back enough for her to sink the dagger into his heart, a high-pitched wail prevailed before a dismal thud.

Finally, her clasp sprung free and the cape tore free from her as she spun around. Feathers hailed through the air as the scar-faced man prepared himself to charge forwards, spewing vile promises of torture and death. It was clear in the haze that she couldn't defeat him on pure strength alone. She had to be clever. Especially with the seemingly ever growing list of injuries she'd currently accumulated. As the scar-faced man delivered a lengthy description of what he planned to do to her once she'd been battered and broke, Regina spotted the bow and arrow strewn not far from the shrubs he'd emerged from. Evidently, he'd judged her as a defenseless woman and he believed to have no need for such a weapon. That fatal mistake she could use, she'd just need to keep her nerve. Well it was now or never.

"You pathetic little man. If you had any idea or sense as to whom you are speaking to, you would be far more courteous. Well, you pathetic little cretin, let me educate you. I am the rightful Queen of these lands. For it was I that burnt villages and camps to a crisp with my bare hands. I that took the hearts of my prisoners and forced them to do unspeakable acts and I of whom will make sure you suffering shall last all of eternity. Not so tough now, are we?"

The cruel and melodic dance came easily out of her but no longer felt as stimulating as it once was. It was as though the costume didn't quite fit anymore and she knew why or rather who. As the Queen made her threat, she continued to walk backwards whilst making sure to look the man straight in the eye. When she was far enough away, she pulled a final smirk and maniacal laugh, daring him to give into his blood-lust. Her whole plan relied on him doing so. Luckily, she'd judged the brute correctly and he took the bait without hesitation. Now, Regina knew she wasn't the best shot, unlike her beloved step-daughter so she'd have to time the perfectly if it was to work. Regina felt the bile threatening to rise up and her whole body protested what was to happen. Holding her breath, the Queen watched the ruffian move ever closer, resolute on ending her. Finally, when he was no more than 15 meters from her, Regina force herself to run towards the bow. She skidded across the floor unceremoniously, grasping at the ground to reach it. He was mid air, dropping directly onto her as it was secured in her hand and drawn. A single scream ripped from her as his body hit the ground.

As the dust settled. all that could be seen on the forest trail was a mounting pool of crimson blood soaking into the flowers, a fallen man with an arrow through his eye…dead and a small woman, sprawled on the floor inches away.

As Regina lay there, looking up at the turning leaves through to the now blue sky, she couldn't believe she was still alive. She shouldn't be. He was going to land directly on top of her, his sword had been seconds away from her neck. How had she lived?

Truthfully, she was prepared to lose her life in this battle if it meant Robin would live. She knew that people must frequent this path, why else would there be ruffians lay hidden there if not. One of the locals would have taken and treated him if she kept him alive now. But she'd lived and now she couldn't understand as to why. Why one earth would she have been spared after all she had done? Why would she be given this second chance now when it was too late for her? Her thoughts were put in hold as she heard him whisper.

The single sound filled her body with the same sensation she'd had when the barrier had gone up. Her palms began to tingle and though electricity was running through them, sparking into the air. Gingerly lifting her hand, Regina saw something impossible. There, in the palm of her hand was a floating white ball. Purple streak ran through its core and it grew as she brought it closer to her. This couldn't be happening as she didn't have light magic. Obviously, she was currently unconscious of suffering some sort of concussion because she was as dark as they came. Furthermore, without Henry, there was no reason for her magic to be light so that stupid pixie dust must have messed up her magic. It somehow must have mixed within her and was creating this new, hybrid magic. Unlike her dark magic that slid through her veins like a rich wine, intoxicating and seductive, this hummed with electricity and warmth. It continued to pulse there on her palm, ebbing and expanding in sync with her heart.

The longer she lay there, the less she could feel the splitting pain of her ribs or the dull ache of her arm. In fact, if she were to hazard a guess it would be that this little pulse on her palm was healing her wounds. But, that was crazy and healing magic was never something she'd ever really studied. Rumple's one and only lesson was to drive a sword through to the hilt into her gut and tell her to figure it out. Although there was only a small scar upon her skin from that day, there was a large mental one she was forever to be branded with. On that day, she had nearly died and she lay healing herself on the cold stone floor of the castle, Rumples despondent glare upon her suffering muttering that it would do. Since that day, Regina had never been able face healing magic and relied heavily upon herbs and potions during her days as Queen. But now, it was instinctual.

She only needed to think of what she wanted fixed and she felt the electricity hum through her as it worked its magic. Before she could fully grasp or understand what was happening to her, she unwound her binding to see only a slight bruise upon her rib cage and no sign of anything on her arm. Regina ran her hand over the skin, disbelieving of what was happening when she locked onto Robin eyes.

He was crumpled in a pile, black veins covered his clammy pale skin as his eyes faded. Pushing herself quickly of the floor, Regina grabbed the dagger that was next to her and cautiously walked over to him. She'd seen what he was suffering from many a time as a girl. Poppy fever.

It sends its victims into a dream like slumber, tricks them with their hearts desires to keep them there. The poison was not originally from this land but one far from here. Thankfully, she knew how to heal him as would any local healer or doctor that had studied their craft properly but that didn't help the pain he was currently in. It was not unusual that in this state, people were known to hurt those around them and themselves when they felt threatened so it was imperative to move cautiously. Regina tucked the dagger into the belt on her skirt and held her hands up as a gesture of peace. As Robin seemed comfortable with her presence, she continued to move closer, checking for any changes till she was in front of him.

Seeing the arrow still stuck out of his shoulder and the blood streaming, soaking his shirt, Regina dropped to her knees. The sight of him broken due to her took her back to Henry laying in a hospital bed those few weeks ago. She may have not been able to do anything to save her son then, but she could do something now…right? Doubt began to claw into her mind with a voice eerily like her mother's as she remembered another of whom hurt due to caring for her in a way that led to their suffering. Raising her hands to his face, she willed for her magic to heal him like it had her only moments ago but nothing came forward. Her hands just lay upon his face as his wound only worsened.

It had just worked for her, so what was the trigger? Her dark magic was anger but this wasn't her dark magic. She hadn't felt anger when it had sparked up the first time in the tree or when she'd healed herself. All Regina hadn't wanted to do was to stay alive, to…to keep Robin alive.

The realisation hit her like a bolt of lightning during an electrical storm. The need to protect was where the power came from. The need to do anything to keep herself or someone else safe.

As she sat there on the path of flowers, his head cradled in her hands, thumb stroking gentling over his dimpled stubble, she finally admitted to herself that she did care for him. In what capacity, she didn't want to explore, but she no longer wished him harm and furthermore, she'd protect him to ensure him. For that singular thought, she was glad Robin couldn't see her as this dawned on her. She couldn't let him get any closer. In a few days, they would be separated, he would be with a son and whoever else loved him and she would be alone or worse. Whatever she did or did not feel towards Robin needed to be pushed far down where no one would ever see it.

But, for this brief shining moment, she could be honest with herself and for once use her magic to help someone. As she traced his features, she remembered how disgusted his was as the thought of forcing or taking advantage of her when she was injured. How he'd protected her when she'd been asleep though he had no reason to. The way Robin lit up when talking about his son and his honesty for what he'd do to keep him safe. His ability to see through her walls and made her feel safe in such a short amount of time. His dimpled smirk after a quick retort and the look in his eye that she still could decipher. Most importantly, she remembered how she felt when the arrow lodged into him and every moment after.

As the emotions of the memories filtered through, the need to protect him came forth and her magic crackled to life. A watery smile spread across her face and tears blurred her vision as her magic began to work. She wrapped her hand around the shaft of the arrow, enveloping it in white crackling magic before pulling it from him and casting it away. Where the weapon had pierced his skin, there was a small pink circle of which would most likely be the only reminder. Regina let out a small laugh of relief at the healed skin until she felt blood seep through her skirt from a wound she missed. Running her hands under his torso, she found the deep slit in his side that was heavily bleeding out. Forcefully, she pushed both of her hands up against it, rolling him onto his back as it she mended the split. This one was deep and appeared to have been ripped further open during his efforts. The process was slow and draining as she willed herself to keep going. Beads of sweat upon her brow as the night of pain and turmoil paired with little food and physical exertions began to show.

As he whispered her name once more, the opening closed and the former queen lay upon him, drenched in his blood but thankful.

Robin POV:

The sound of birds woke Robin from his deep slumber. Their light tuneful song slowly brought him back to the world of the living. As he opened his eyes, stiff with the weight of sleep, he began to take in his surroundings to make sense of where he now was. He appeared to be lying on a bed of leaves and moss, covered in a thick fur throw which helped to shield him from the harsh temperature. Overhead was an elaborate network of vines and branches woven together to form the small tent he was currently residing in. In amongst them were small blossom flowers, a mixture of purple and white, serving in place of the stars he figured. From the damp earth, he knew them to still be in the forest but aside from that he was completely stumped.

It didn't seem probable to him that the men of which attempted his death would have brought him to a place such as this. It's quiet elegance and practicality spoke of a woman and he was sure that the attackers had both been men, so who had saved him…and where was Regina? An involuntary lump formed in his throat as a vortex of anxiety swirled inside of him. Where was she? She had to have survived, didn't she? He told her to run, but she heard her fall. Robin brought his hands to cover his eyes, not wanting to accept that she may be gone before he'd ever gotten the chance sort out the complicated mess surrounding them. He wasn't sure what he felt towards the Queen, he hadn't forgiven her for her deeds in the past nor did he fully trust her but Regina, Regina was someone he wanted to help, to understand. Even if for only a moment before they had to succumb back to reality. But those were nothing now but wasted wishes, times missed.

Feeling guilt and grief drag on him, Robin was startled by the quiet mutterings of someone obviously very close. Instinctively he went to grab his knife only to be met with his bare side. Confused and more that slightly alarmed, Robin braced himself before pushing himself up to a sitting position on the cot. When Robin reopened his eyes, he could honestly not believe the sight before him. There she was…alive and safe, even if just for now.

Her long hair had been pulled back from her face and fixed atop of her head, tresses falling loose framing her delicate face. Gone was the fierce make-up he'd become accustomed to and in its place, was the most beautiful creature he'd even laid eyes upon. Her skin was luminous with the morning sunlight, it's pure rays catching the softness of her lips and the slope of her nose perfectly. The deep creases in her brow that he'd become accustomed to over the time he'd spent studying her had vanished, leaving Regina somehow lighter and more peaceful in her slumber. In her lap lay her hands, dirt and blood covered atop of her equally ruined skirt. Had she saved him, why would she do that? His musing where broken by the quiet mumblings of the Queen, completely unaware of the effect she was having upon the former thief.

Laying back down again on the cot, Robin found himself even more confused than he had been previously. In fact, at the point the only thing he was certain about was that the Queen was no mere woman and things were only going to get more complicated the more time her spent with her. He wished that he didn't have to take her but the rules of his mission were clear and so were the ones of the land. Any contact, deliberate or not, of enemies of the crown were to be severed and the enemy in question to be brought before justice. Why she couldn't have just stuck to her own realm he would never understand. If she had just stayed there, she would have been safe and so would have his son. He would have returned in a few weeks with his findings and none of this mess would have ever happened.

True, he could let her run, hide out in these lands or skip to the next but it was too high of a risk. It was likely that her presence here was already known and his attachment to her also. The only chance his son had was to take Regina in exchange, a fact she knew and had agreed to but still one he no longer wished to see through. As he quietly studied the vines above his head, he could see the intricacy of the structure that only fitted a woman such as Regina. The flowers blooming in perfect balance alongside the thick green foliage. He reached upwards and picked the one above his head, feeling the pulse of electricity drift through him as he continued to roll the stem between his thumb and forefinger in a repetitive motion. Inhaling the sweet, rich scent, Robin turned onto his side and found slumber once again but this time, the vision of a certain Queen quickly bled in.


	7. Chapter 7

Ended up having a crazy summer but now I'm back at uni there shall be more frequent updates I promise. please review if you still decide to read this :) - A x

Regina's POV:

As she sat on the bottom edge of the cot, Regina could help but feel overwhelmed by the events of the last couple of weeks. For 28 years, nothing had really changed aside from her son. Now her whole world was being rearranged in a split second. No longer did she have a loving son who believed her to hang the moon and stars, just a young boy of whom she loved more than she ever believed possible that wanted nothing from her. She had lost her home, her life, her future and when she'd tried to escape the pain, had landed back in the realm of where it all began. It all seem to cruel and yet it was just an extension of what her entire life had entailed. Hardship and loss.

Furthermore, there was now Robin. Robin of whom she was sure despised her for most of their time together was tedious at least. Yet fought to keep her alive, made her open in a way she had never done before. There was something about him that just crumbled her walls, that trusted him in a bizarre way which was extremely dangerous.

When he had lay there on the ground, broken and pained, the weight of it seemed to crush her heart in a way she didn't want to confront. At some point over their short time together, the sharp barbs and witted insults had turned into something different, something far more familiar and dare she admit, caring? Somehow, he had been the trigger, or at least partially, to her new magic. But yet they never had so much as a nice conversation until either she'd had a breakdown or at least once of them were in grave peril.

Regina sighed heavily as she rested her head on her lap, exhausted. It seemed that the magic she now posed, through extremely strong, had quite the adverse effect on her. It took every ounce of strength, every memory and feeling to feed it for the magic to surge forwards. Although it didn't feel suffocating and controlling like her dark magic had, the sheer effort left her drained. Images of Henry had weighed heavier on heart than ever before and the man in front of her on served to make that worse.

After healing both herself and Robin, having to create and cloak a shelter for them to spend the night safely in, she was ready to collapse. Her adrenaline seemed to be the only thing allowing her to push through the menial tasks that would allow them to be safe, if only for the night. If not for her stubbornness and if he'd been in a better condition, Robin would not have been sleeping in the soft cot, covered in the warm furs. Or at least he wouldn't be in there alone. But lord knows that she was a stubborn and proud woman, even in the direst of times she refused to admit how much she'd wanted to crawl in with him. Just for a few hours if to do nothing other rest her drained body. However, just as all times before turn she'd couldn't let herself be caught in such a sensitive predicament so the chair she'd fashioned herself would have to do. As she slipped into another fruitless slumber, twine awkwardly poking into her body, Regina was calmed by the sight of his chest finally rising and falling calmly.

The rest, as she'd expected, had done little in means of restoring her energy. It was this fact alone in which led to her currently be studying Robin in the pale morning light. She desperately needed to eat but without Robin that seemed a dangerous task and then there was the small matter of her having no clue of how to actually hunt. Although the feeling in her stomach was boarding on painful, she realised she would just have to wait.

Casting her look back onto his slumbering form, she studied the sharpness of his jawline, dusted with stubble. Small patches of grey beginning to form, displaying the hardships this land had caused him. Instinctively, she pushed back the hair from his eyes just as she'd done for Henry when he'd slept before she caught herself. Embarrassed by the tenderness of the action, Regina went to snatch her hand back until a small smile formed upon Robin's face. Dimples showcased proudly even in deep slumber and for that moment she couldn't bear to move her hand away. It wasn't as though anyone was going to see her anyway.

The sun had now begun to shine brightly, breaking through the early morning mist. The new dawn, casting beams of light from up above them straight through the twine roof. The flecks danced upon his skin, casting an angelic profile to the man below her. Her eye caught sight of the flower that was resting in his hand, almost hidden beneath the mountain of throws. It was one of her, he'd obviously picked before her waking. Regina was thrown by the care he was showing it. It was a flower. Not even that, it was on that she'd grown. Why would he have bothered with something as simple as a flower.

Removing it carefully from him hand, she placed it on the floor next to him to try and preserve it.

By her reckoning it was time to start moving. As loathe as she was to wake him, it was necessary if they were to make it to safety before nightfall.

Placing her hand on his arm, Regina jostled him slightly as she called his name, trying to wake him from his peaceful state. After a few more attempts, he gradually began to come around. Mumbling inaudibly, Robin lifted his forearm to cover his face as he once again squinted against the sunlight. It was probably far stronger now than when he had awoken earlier. Familiarity began to dawn on his face as he took in his surroundings so Regina quickly moved from the cot back onto her chair. When his eyes found hers, she was taken back by the smile the spread across his face as he gently spoke her name.

"Good morning Robin. I see that you slept well." Regina attempted to keep her gaze away from him and the conversation light. She was not sure yet whether, or even how to explain what happened the day previous.

"Regina…What happened?"

Really? she thought. Straight out of the gate he asks the very question she has no coherent answer for as though he was simply making conversation rather than setting off a landmine.

"Well you see," she started. "We were attacked yesterday, in the forest. You do remember that, don't you?" Worry crept back in to the queen's words.

"Yes Regina, I remember that. However, I also remember hearing you fall during the ambush. How is it that either of us are now here?" His brow was scrunched up in confusion, his eyes prying her open from across the room.

"I killed them. I killed them both." Regina sunk he head and fixed her gaze upon the floor. Whether she was acting in defence or not, she had still killed again and this time it wasn't a winged beast. Moments passed as though an eternity finally she heard him move from the cot to crouch before her.

"Regina. Look at me." He took her hands in his as she brought her head up slightly. 'You did nothing more than what anybody else would have done. No more than they were to do to us both. Thankyou."

This time it was her turn to be confused. No one had ever thanked her for murdering somebody, especially not so easily and honestly.

"Thankyou for saving my life Regina, is what I meant. If not for your actions my son would be another orphan in this lands, forgotten and alone. So thankyou. I am indebted to you M'Lady."

A buzzing electricity began where their hands were still linked at his words. Drawing them back quickly, Regina gave him a tight smile before telling him they would need to leave soon in order to get to the cottage. Agreeing with her logic, Robin collected the few possessions and reattached the blade back onto his belt before following her out of the shelter. Regina could tell he wanted to ask as her a million more questions about the attack. That he was physically having to retain himself from asking about every moment but for whatever reason was choosing not to. For once, she was eternally grateful for the space.

As the two continued down the path lined with poppies, Regina thought back to the previous night. She had slunk in the shadows to collect the flowers, praying that she'd collect enough before she was caught. When she awoke this morning, she could breathe easier seeing that the potion had worked its remedies as intended. Robin now looked nothing more than he could use a good sleep. Visions of the black sludge creeping through his veins and around his heart had affected her more than she'd care to admit. Even in the dream scape she couldn't help but compare the scene to one of her boy of a few months earlier.

Though having him there next to her gave a sense of ease that she'd not know for some time, it didn't stop the sense of terror over the ordeal that was now her life once again. Even as she looked down at her hands, she could physically see the remains of the tortures they'd endured last night. The caked residue of blood now turning black against her olive skin.

The few hours were spent with talk of nothingness. Both simply enjoying the company of another person just being alongside them for once. Questions hung over head but were never asked for fear of disrupting the new-found peace. As they finally made it to the end of the path, Grannies cottage came into view and she had never been so happy to of been proved wrong.

The structure was still intact, as though it was only yesterday that an old woman and a young girl had used to for refuge against a prejudiced world.

Crossing over the threshold, Regina led Robin into the cottage where he began to immediately hunt for supplies for their journey ahead. The former Queen made her way into the small living area of the cottage, the smell of damn wood and burnt cinders still lingered as it had all those years ago. Absentmindedly, she began to run her hand over the worn wooden chairs as she cast her view out the window, to the castle she once been imprison in the distance.

From her spot by the window, Regina could just about make out Robin's shrinking silhouette re-entering into the woods in search of food. His clothing blending perfectly in with the natural hues of the woodland that surrounded him. Deciding that there would be time to spare, the former Queen decided to re-acquaint herself with the small cottage that once had meant far more to her than anyone dare believe.

In truth, never had she thought she would return here again, not after what had happened. Not after the ties she was forced to sever almost a lifetime ago. Resting against the ledge of the window once again, she noted that it wasn't quite fitted into the wall properly. Almost as though something had been hidden within its walls. Prying it up, Regina was not ready for what she was to uncover.

Letters upon letters had been hidden, stash away from the prying eyes of the world inside the very structure of the cottage. Instantly, Regina knew exactly what these letters contained. For even then those many years later, she recognised the eloquent, spiralled handwriting upon them. These were the letters that she had sent to Granny when she had just become queen. A young girl, only 17, lost in a world she did not understand nor ever desire to be a part of. One with no one to help or guide her through the hell that became her life. In that isolated time, her only ally had been her father but he didn't have the courage to save her. It had been the old woman that worked down in the kitchens that had been her only chance of salvation.

She had met Granny the same day she'd moved into the castle. The woman was in charge of settling the future Queen into her new life, showing her the grounds and explaining the daily routine expected of her. It didn't take long for the old woman to see the hollowness of her eyes and soon after took her down into the kitchen. It was there in the old servant's kitchen that someone finally allowed Regina to express what she was truly feeling. Let her cry and scream until nothing remained. Then on the cold stone floor, simply held her, stroked her hair and whispered that she would help however she could to ease this cruelty.

It was the first time since Daniel's death that she had felt grounded and safe, even if it had been in the arms of a stranger.

Since that day, she would run to Granny after every late-night visit and horror brought by the king. Would seek comfort in her wisdom and concern. Regina knew then that she couldn't be taken from the castle for long, the guards would be sent after her and her liberator hung for treason but for a day here or there she'd slip out dressed in simple rags. During times when Granny went to visit her own family, Regina had written letters to her during the absence to ease to pain.

These letters contained all her fears, all her brutal memories and nightmares. Every last thought had been written upon the parchment as through she was speaking to the old woman in the room. When she returned, Regina would slip the letters into her servant's quarters. They never spoke of them after but there would always be a fresh apple pie waiting and a warm embrace.

Around a year into the sham of a marriage, when the King and Snow White went away, Granny began to smuggle her out of the castle disguised more often. Risking longer breaks just to give Regina some sense of freedom from her eternal prison. After the days adventures had drawn to a close, Granny had hid her away from the world in this very cottage. Would tell her stories of the people in the villages, of her family whilst brushing her hair. Made sure that she ate correctly and tended to her injuries. When she could, she would secure a horse from the neighbouring farm so that the young Queen may ride for a while. Something she'd been forced to give up it seemed during her new responsibilities. Regina learnt basic healing remedies and how to cook from those days spent in the cottage with Granny. Watching and practicing alongside her in case she should ever need them and the old woman wasn't around to help. Those were the days she lived for. The only days she ever felt alive.

Back then, Regina saw Granny as the mother that she had always longed for but never seemed deserving of. As she sifted through the letters, she couldn't help but despair at what she found. For not only inside were letters, but sketches from when she was younger alongside half-attempted cross stitching and pressed flowers they'd collected in the forest. Inside was a whole collection of their lives together. Why would she had kept all of this for those years that followed? She had chosen innocent Snow White so their relationship, like every other had died then. However, looking down at the papers and memories now strew around her feet, she wondered if maybe it had never been that simple.

Just outside she heard a crash followed by an extensive list of curse words. She quickly crammed all evidence of her past away, placed the wooden top back on and pushed the heavy oak door open.

"This is not what it looks like M'lady." His face turning a shade of crimson upon his discovery. For in the midst of one textile explosion was Robin, vigorously searching the pile as though his life depended on it whilst the freshly caught pheasant lay on the table behind.

"So I did not just walk in whilst you were searching through a pile of female garments?" She quirked her eyebrow in playful jest. "You know Robin, I really didn't expect this of you."

Robin shuffled slightly on the balls of his feet, refusing to make eye contact much to her relief as he attempted to talk his way out of the corner he was currently occupying.

"It's for you M'lady. And whilst I would look most dashing in this pink, frilled contraption, I was simply attempting to find something for you before we headed into town."

Looking down at her torn clothing, Regina supposed he had a fair point. If she hadn't looked frightful before she most certainly did now, and for a whole new reason. There would be no way for them to sneak through undetected whilst she sat caked in blood and torn garments that barley covered her body. However, the simple gesture still slightly knocked Regina. For it had been a long time since anyone had ever given anything to her aside from Henry and even that had stopped after the adoption discovery. Before that it had been a little boy…Greg, who had run from her not long after.

"For me? For…. why?"

"Well you see… as beautiful as you may look covered in dirt and blood, walking into town like that shall draw unwanted attention. Dangerous attention. I was just trying to keep you safe M'lady." Robin eyes were honest as the sunrise for he had no alternative for helping her other than genuine concern.

Regina briefly contemplated if this was the kind of man he was back before her curse tore his entire world apart. A man that simply said as he felt, entirely unguarded.

In that moment, she decided that this humble and slightly embarrassed side of him was one that was completely endearing. The cocksure persona that spent most of its time winding her up had only been a cover to this decent man that laid hidden underneath. Walking slowly towards him, Regina began to flick through the choices. As loathe as she may be to go along with this plan of his, after last night it was clear that this would most likely be their best bet. Plus, if it meant a wash, a clean dress and hopefully a comb to run through her hair, Regina would oblige. Even if she had to dress down, that's exactly what she'd do, former royal status be damned.

Pausing over a simple blue gown, she allowed herself to feel the coarse material. As she held it up to her body, Regina smiled as it perfectly fell against her form as it had before. The lightly embroidered neck was still intact. Small purple lilies ran across the entire length connected by a thin thread of emerald green. "This one isn't hideous I suppose. Not my usual style but it shall have to do. And if I may borrow your clock again then it'll be mostly covered." Robin looked dumbfounded at how easily she was now accepting his help. Surely this could not be the same woman of whom only days earlier was resolute in her hatred of him? Amused at the reaction she managed to get out of him, Regina began to collect the clothes up into her arms. "I'm sure you are aware there is a stream just behind those trees. I am going to go bathe and then I shall be back. If you could please sort out dinner that would be lovely. If I'm not back in 20 minutes, you have my permission to come and find me." Robin continued to look at her in the same manner and so she strode off towards the bustling stream, uncharacteristically happy at how the afternoon's events had unfolded.

As it turned out, the stream in question, like many things in the land had changed with the curse. No longer was it a weak, narrow channel of water but a thriving river that cut through the terrain. Not that she was complaining, a river was far better to clean in…even if it was early autumn and the idea of plunging into the cold water was already making her shiver. Setting the clean blue dress upon the neighbouring rock alongside the thick green cloak, Regina began to undress. Baring her uncovered flesh to the cool elements before slipping into the freezing waters.

Although she was expecting it to be cold, this was ridiculous. She could feel herself freezing as she stood stationary in the moving river. Her breath coming out harshly in white clouds that dissipated into the air as her body slowly became numb beneath the water. Obviously nearly 30 years of indoor plumbing and a previous life of luxury had softened her somewhat because being clean no longer seemed as important as in had before. She plunged into the water below, letting it soak into her hair and wash away the lingering dirt, desperate to get this over as quickly as possible.

The freezing temperature caused her lungs to burn whilst she was under. Breaking back through the surface, Regina soon realised that this was a terrible idea. For not only was she now freezing cold. She was alone, exposed and without any weapon aside from her off magic.

Time passed and eventually the fallen queen became more comfortable within the water. Enjoying the way the brisk current helped to cleanse her worn skin with ease. After the appropriate amount of time was spent bathing, Regina began to make her way back towards the bank of rocks.

A twig snapped nearby, causing the hairs on her skin to bolt upright in a most unpleasant manner but Regina due to the dense foliage, she couldn't see anything in that moment. Inwardly cursing herself she began to position herself into the larger boulders to serve as some protection. As she crouched within a hollowed opening, Regina could only hope that they were friend not foe.

After a few moments, she heard footsteps come traipsing through the forest, clearly in search of something if the hushed whispers were anything to go by. Regina forced herself to stay quiet and still less to catch their attention. The obvious sounds of boots crunching on earth became louder indicating two things: it definitely wasn't Robin here to make some quick-witted remarks and that she wasn't going to be safe for much longer without divine intervention.

One of the assailants, a man, whistled into the wind, as though to play a sick game with her. His shadow casting a long black silhouette into the river just in front of where Regina was presently hiding. Forcing her back as far in-between the rocks, she focused all her energies on summoning her magic forth but the sheer trauma this trip has forced upon her body made that difficult. Every limb burnt as tough white fire was searing her from the inside. Pulling her apart like an disguarded doll. The familiar sensation of black spots began impairing her vision until the moment an arrow whizzed overhead. It's sharpened crown landing square upon a tree on the other side of the river with a distinctive splinter. All hell broke loose in that moment as bloodcurdling screams and the dull thump of bodies hitting the floor destroyed the idyllic autumn dusk that was fast approaching.

The gut-wrenching sounds of steel into human flesh continuously followed every rhythmic drawback of a bow. Boots scuffled into the earth, fists made their mark and agony was ever present as Regina willed herself to remain conscious.

Suddenly, she could hear a name being frantically called again and again. Getting more desperate with every cry. Confusion overcame Regina as she struggled to make out the voice. Suddenly, a hand came over the rock she was hiding within and felt around the opening. Within the next second a body was diving into the water next to her and dragging her forwards. Magic be damned she once again willed a fireball to her palm, refusing to go down without a fight but was only met with frantic blue eyes in place of her vengeful brown. Robin lifted her out of the water instantly and she crashed square into his chest as soon as they were laid upon the bank. Her naked body now lay against every contour of his. His eyes frantically searching hers, begging for confirmation of her being here with him. Safe.

Regina pushed herself from him slightly, enough to break whatever trance they'd both currently found themselves lost. Only then did either of the two notice the predicament they currently found themselves in. Muttering hurried apologies, he rolled over and began to get up on the grass verge, attempting give her some privacy after that particularly forward encounter.

Allowing herself a few moments to recompose on the ground, Regina began to also move once her basic functions returned to her. Pulling the clean dress over herself, the queen felt a wash of shyness that had long since been felt. Plenty had seen her naked over the years ranging from handmaidens that helped her in the castle to disgruntled lovers than she'd recently… moved on from. Fixing the clasp on Robin's clock around her neck, she finally walked back around to him, her long hair pulled haphazardly over her shoulder.

His face was still contorted in a panicked expression and now looking down at the surrounding woodland, there was a justified reason.

"We HAVE to go. Now. They were just the scouting party and when they don't return whoever sent them will know somethings happened and send more."

His tone left no room for argument and his cobalt eyes shone with a fire she'd only ever see in the mirror. Regina did nothing but simply nod at his words before they sprinting back to the cottage to make their next grand escape. Although she didn't know it then, this was the instant that would change the course of her disgruntled life. For all she felt in the instant was her ebony hair flowing freely in the wind and their hands forever entwined.


	8. Chapter 8

Regina's POV:

The world became a blur of colours and sounds as they quickly threw basic necessities from the cabin into worn leather satchels. Another dress and some healing ingredients for her, another cloak and basic food for him. Before long, Robin was urging her back out of the cottage as faint screeches began breaking through the crisp air. Stuffing a handful of the hidden letters beneath her cloak, Regina stumbled to meet him at the door for their timely departure.

Regina tried in vain to bring forth her magic but it did nothing more than spark and smoke. "Regina, there is no time. We have to go." His frantic eyes found hers as the foreboding sense of winged doomed grew. Extending his hand towards hers, Robin asked a simple question which threatened to change things between forever "Do you trust me?" His hand remained as steadfast as his gaze upon her and for that moment nothing but the sound of their shared breathing could she register. Biting down upon her lip, Regina places her hand once again in his as they disappear into his world. The world of endless forests and giant sky scrapping trees. Protected by the dense foliage as he introduces her to the one place he thought he'd never again share. The hidden pathway of the Merry Men.

Regina's eyes grew large as he perfectly guided them through the elaborate courses of bridges and ropes hidden just out of view amongst the tree tops. Together they weaved through unruly branches that for too long hadn't been tended and hid when winged beasts came to close for comfort. In this moment, the former Queen caught a glimpse at the great thief this man had once been. The way his eyes lit up with a mischievous spark every time he snuck by undetected. The almost carefree smile that had broken across his face as he perfectly leaped from tree to tree. He truly did belong here, this strange man of whom she was currently entrusting her life to. Not for the first time, Regina felt truly remorseful for the events that had taken this from him and the rather large part she had to play in it.

Time past and the two left behind the shrill sounds of winged beast. They ran until the painful screams of those unfortunate enough to have been ensnared where lost to the wind. The forest began to become sparser as the continued onwards. Robin suggested they make their way back down to the ground as many of the old routes had fallen into a dangerous state of disrepair. Just as they went to climb downwards a black shadow swooped overhead. All life seemed to stop in an instant, waiting expectantly for the inevitable tragedy that was to unfold. The thief and the queen froze. Hands gripping on one another's. Hoping whim against wish that they would remain undetected. Slowly, Robin pulled Regina backward into his chest, manoeuvring her to fit between him and the course tree bark. Faces inches apart. Every breath and heart beat in perfect sync. A dull thud sounded behind him but Regina could see nothing. Robins taller frame hid everything from her sight. Clawed feet pierced the splintering wood of the suspended as the low inhuman chatter only seemed to increase. Regina was sure the beast was trying to sniff them out in the open breeze but the look in Robin's eyes calmed her. It was almost as if he was already 2 steps ahead with a plan to get them out of this. She felt a hand wrap slowly around her waist, pulling her closer to him. Compliantly she went, ignoring the hitch in both their breaths when their bodies where finally flush against each other.

Suddenly, his face broke out in a grin as his hand yanked something from behind her. An incoherent mess of noises split through the silence then all went quiet. Regina looked up at Robin. Puzzlement clearly marked in her dark features. Withdrawing his hands from her, Robin spun around as to let the former Queen view his handiwork. For there, hanging from a vine was the winged beast, unconscious with a coloured dart impaled into its neck.

"A simple sleeping dart M'Lady. Just like the ones we used to use of your very own guards if I'm not mistaken." His voice carried an air of jest as he leant back on the tree, arms crossed with a smirk. Regina in that moment didn't quite know what to do and so she did the only thing she could. She laughed. She laughed a true and strong as tears began to run down her cheeks. She laughed until her stomach hurt and she couldn't laugh anymore.

Robin's POV:

In that instant, Robin was sure he'd never seen such a beautiful sight than Regina laughing freely in the oncoming sunset. The vibrant hues of golden sunlight danced off her skin as her faced was decorated in the most captivating smile he'd ever seen. For that moment he could see no trace of the malicious witch from tale or even of the armoured woman he'd travelled with. In that moment, he simply saw her. Regina. Nothing more and nothing less. He knew in that moment this vision before him would forever stay within his mind.

Robin was brought out of his musing when the woman once again attempted to regain some composure. Wiping away the tears that had fallen but not completely able to wipe away the smile that graced her lips. Pushing off from the tree, Robin began to make his descent down. Careful to hide his private thoughts. Calling to her to be careful, he instructed Regina to follow his route exactly. Much to Robin's amusement, Regina was in fact a much better climber than he'd previously believed. That being said, the only person he'd climbed with in years had been his little boy and that was a far more stressful event. When her feet hit the ground next to his, she took in his confused face and simply stated "I have a son. Don't look so surprised." With a smirk and a nod, the thief and queen began to make their way down the path towards the village sensing that he would never not be curious about the woman beside him.

The remainder of their journey was blissfully uneventful. Both parties talked politely, neither bringing up the day's earlier events. Much of their chatter was restricted to their sons. Tales of them growing up. Robin couldn't help himself from envision a life with his son once this was all over. Maybe with a stunning woman and her boy also. A perfect happy family. Of course, this was a dream that could never be. For currently in this land there was an evil that had never before been experienced. An evil that he would have to soon give Regina over to. One that would forever control his life.

He must have fallen further into his thoughts than he'd realised for then he felt a hand slip into his and gently pull him to a stop.

"Robin. Are you alight?"

Her brows were furrowed and lips slightly pursed as bottomless coffee eyes bore into his. Robin looked down at their hands, his much larger enveloping hers. Thumb soothingly rubbing on the joined skin. The guilt and shame grew tenfold for how could he tell her why he'd lost his family. His son. It had been easy to blame it all on her before when she was a fictional monster but now… now he had to admit she may have started to chain of events, but it was his actions that finalised them. However, now was not the time to discuss such matters. One could never be sure who was listening nowhere days and he'd rather of had a couple drinks before he delved into this topic and so he diverted the conversation.

"It doesn't are nearing the village, do you still remember the plan?"

Regina looked at him sceptically. Opening her mouth as if to say something only to think better of it at the last moment. Nodding towards him they continued walking.

" I know you're not keen on this plan but it is the safest way for you to make it through the night. Only my snoring to put up with."

"I understand Robin. These are primitive lands with primitive men after all."

Regina pulls ahead of him and Robin is left stunned at her curt words. For after all that had happened between them that, he'd believed she'd softened towards him, if only slightly. But obviously he'd said or done something that had stifled that theory.

By the time they reached the villages edge, Regina had still not uttered more than a mere scoff when he tried their usual back and forth. If he was honest with himself…it pissed him off. If he were even more honest , he'd admit it hurt more that he would of thought.

Regina POV:

He was holding something back from her. True, they didn't really know each other that well and he had no reason to tell her, but it got under her skin that he wouldn't. Only he had looked so wistful one moment and then the next he had looked pained in a way that struck her to her core. For it was a look that she saw every time she'd looked in the mirror all her life. A look of desperate longing. But obviously, she was no such person to share these thoughts with. Even though he knew of her loss and was literally the only person he could talk to right now. In her head, Regina knew that there was no reason to get as irritated as she was but he'd hurt her without even realising. Just when she thought he may be different from every other man.

When they reached the edge of the village, Regina still hadn't said a word to Robin and not through lack of trying on his half. Every question was met with a stoic silence and eventually he gave up trying at all and walked beside her in an uncomfortable detachment.

"We're here Your Majesty." His words were cold and empty. They held none of the spark she'd become accustomed to and were just that of the trained hunter she'd originally met. Hollow and detached. It was then that she realised how childish she had behaved. Punishing Robin for her inability to have an actual conversation with another person without getting petulant over trivial things. Why was it that without Henry around, she couldn't act like the woman she knew she was? The one he may eventually be proud to call his mother again. It was as though without her son, she could not function right. Every decision made felt wrong, every turn only brought more danger. Worst of all, in true Mill's fashion, she blamed someone else for her own problems. Coming to stand in front of him, Regina took and breath and prepared herself to do something she never did.

Apologise. With no strings or alternate motive attached.

"Look, Robin. I'm…"

"Save it Regina, let's just… get this over and done with. The sooner this night is over the better it shall be for both of us"

Guilt ate away inside her at his words as they finally crossed into the village.

Hesitantly , he began taking her arm and draping it through his as to ask her permission. At least he still had common decency whilst he was pissed at her she thought with a smug smile. They began their walk into the crowds, Regina sticking to Robin's side like glue, resolute that she wouldn't lose him. Dusk was beginning to fall and the streets had an uneasy feeling of dread that hung overhead like a thick smoke. Choking the light and goodness out of those below. As the sun began to sink from the sky, the crowds dispersed. All knowing what waited for them in the dark.

Robin continued to guide Regina through the narrow streets. Holding her forever closer with every figure that emerged from the shadows. As much as she loathed to admit it, he had been correct. This land had grown far more savage than it was when she ruled over it. She could feel the lustful eyes creeping over her body as Robin held her in his arms. The very thought of what could happen terrified her in a way she didn't wish to remember.

Upon finding a tavern, Robin proceeded to procure them a room. Spinning a tale that himself a Regina were a newlywed married couple on route to the capital after a particually crude comment was made to her upon their entry. Surprisingly, Robin played the role of doting husband perfectly. Or at least how she had always imagined. Continuously showering her with complements and soft touches, stunning Regina to a flushed silence. Never failing to gaze into her eyes with every word he spoke. However, once the door closed to their room, the spell was broken.

The room was small and smelt as though it hadn't been cleaned in a generation. But it was warm and provided them with a safe shelter from the outside world. There was a small open window in the corner, the night air flowing through the curtains. Overhead a small lantern that would serve as their only light once the moon arose. In the centre was a singular bed. Straw stuffed and just about large enough for two.

"You can take the bed. I'll take the floor." Regina stated. Hoping to appease him in any way.

"No. You need the rest more. Besides…it's been years since I slept on a mattress. I wouldn't know what to do with one."

Robin stretched him arm behind his head, bristling his hair as to avoid her gaze.

There was a silence in the room that Regina couldn't break through. She just continued to look at him. Wishing that he would be the one to make the move she was too afraid to. But, he never looked up from the floor. Not once. He simply announced he was going for a drink, leaving her completely alone with nothing other than her demons for company.

Resting on the side of the bed, Regina's breath hitched. The events of the previous days once again boiling over the top. All at once, the agony and fear exploded from her body in loud sobs only stifled by the hand she'd smothered her mouth with. They were excruciating and forceful in their power. Her ever more frail body bearing the effects. Regina wept for all she had lost until the darkness once again consumed her.

When Regina awoke, she noticed 2 things. Firstly, she had been asleep too long. The stars now shone in the midnight sky like a thousand diamonds, allowing moonlight to bathe the room. Secondly, Robin hadn't returned to her. Fear ran her blood cold in an instant. Leaping from the bed where she'd lain, Regina rushed down the stairs. Frantically looking for her 'husband' with more worry than she'd dare admit. When the woman at the front directed her to the far side of the tavern, Regina didn't know whether to be relieved he was okay or kill him herself for making her come down here alone to get him. Dangerous eyes found her quickly and she then felt sick for a completely different reason. How long had he been down here with these barbarians and their disgusting agenda? Spotting him in the dimly lit corner booth, all anger disappears from her. For when upon her eyes fell upon him, he was nothing but a broken man. Walking quickly towards him, careful to keep her head down and cloak wrapped tightly, Regina noted the number of tankards littering the table and the same haunted look upon him face once again. As Regina reached the table, he glanced upwards. She simply sat down opposite him and called for a drink. This was going to be a long night.

Robin's POV:

He didn't mean to leave her for so long but the bloody woman made his blood boil. Every time he thought he had learnt the dance, she would change the steps. It was infuriating. It was insufferable. It was…something he just couldn't seem to give up. Looking down into his mug of now warm ale, Robin rubbed his eyes, willing the thoughts of this exasperating woman away. But when he didn't think of her, he thought of Roland and Marian. How he had failed them in every promise he'd ever made. To protect and guide them. Never letting anything harm them. Now Marian was dead and his son at the Mercy of the false Queen. For all he knew of his boys welfare, he too could be dead. It had been months, nearly a year since he'd last seen his son. Would Roland still believe he'd come back? Or worse yet… did he even remember who he was? Grief burned in his skull threatening to drown him in a never-ending river of regret. Hot tears ran down his cheeks as he rhythmically clawed into the wooden table, praying it would offer him some rooting to the ground.

Then suddenly, she appeared. The light behind threw her features into its shadowed veil yet, the candles dimming light still caught her ivory face. Its beauty cast into an expression of turmoil and understanding and for that moment, Robin found it a little easier to breathe.

As she moved to sit, Robin found no will in himself to stop her so when he found himself a half hour later, silently sipping their drinks, he could only blame himself.

Regina had looked as though she'd wanted to speak since she'd sat but for some reason held back. Raising his head up once more from the table, he offered watery smile as she began.

"Robin, look…I'm, I'm sorry for what I said. Or rather how I said it. You didn't deserve that nor did you deserve how I acted afterwards. It was selfish and immature of me to…"

"Regina. It wasn't just you. I too played my part." He took another gulp of ale before letting it rest on the table.

The Queen looked confused. Obviously the fact that he too had admitted his part in the evenings events had thrown her a loop. Her dark brows scrunched harshly inwards as she tried to make sense of it. Though from the continued silence, something still didn't quite add up in her head and so adverting his eyes downward again, Robin continued.

"You remind me so much of someone Regina. Someone who has been gone for a long time and at this point, if I'm honest, I'm desperately clinging onto their memory to not forget them."

Regina shuffled forwards in her seat, resting her elbows on the tables edge. Saying not a word, silent allowing him to talk, and so he did.

"You remind me of my mother Regina. You have the same expressive eyes. Dark, captivating hair. Like you, she was a strong and formidable woman. Took no shit from anybody. Even if the bloke was double her size, and being a woman in court, they all were. I can still remember her voice and her laughter. If I close my eyes I can hear those melodies in my head as if they were happening now. The way her smile completely changed her face. Made me believe that nothing in this realm or the next could ever hurt me. For a sickly child, that meant everything to me." He chuckled at the memory before a shadow fell over his face.

"However, inside…inside she was broken or diseased I don't know. Her soul was fractured apart not unlike one of your mirrors. You see, she never wanted the life she was forced into. Wouldn't have stayed if not for me but by the time I realised it was too late. She was too far gone and I never got the chance to help her. Now I know we haven't known each other long, a little over a week really, but I have learnt a few things about you Regina. I've learnt that whatever happened in that castle of yours… must have been horrific. It changed something inside of you to make you into that monster you were. The one that you now live in fear of. Something or someone took over your very soul. Your life and distorted your entire sense of reality. I've seen it before."

Regina's face was an almost perfect mask of indifference but her lips were pressed to thin, her eyes shining slightly as she held back tears. For a spell, both let the other see past the fortress of walls they had so carefully constructed. Truly showing broken every part of them now was. Clearing his throat, the spell was broken and eyes were adverted in an attempt to regain composure.

"My mother died trying to smuggle me out of the grounds. Believed if we left everything behind… the darkness wouldn't follow us. That she would become the person she once was. My father made damn sure we'd never make it out of the gates. A knight's sword straight through the heart. She died right there in front of me."

Robin felt Regina's hand curl around his and gently stroke the skin she found there. Stray tears falling down the apples of her cheeks.

Her voice broke through, crackling slightly "Robin, why are you telling me this?"

He noted that her breath was short, as though one miss-step and they'd have a re-run of what had happened in the forest.

"I am telling you this, because I don't want you to have the same burdens as she. You're no longer bound to that life. You escaped. It is evident in how you fight every day for you son, even though you believe him lost to you, that you are not the same woman. And although I shall still need your aid in saving my son, I hope that our partnership can offer you some comfort until then. Because Regina, you are stunning in every way and I just wish you would let people close enough to tell you that. I truly hope that you find whatever peace you are seeking."

Regina had gone unusually quiet. Her breathing sounded more laborious than a moment ago. The hand he still held felt clammy in his grasp but it was the panicked, glazed stare that had him moving around the table next to her.

Regina's POV:

The room was spinning. All her senses became distorted. Lights too bright. Sounds too loud. Blood was rushing to her head as though floodgates had been open whilst long buried images once again appeared in her mind. No longer could she hear Robin's kind words for she was lost in a world of her own demons. Some of her own creation. Some inflicted onto her much to young. Cries and screams pounded together to create a dialogue of desperation. Regina could feel her chest aching but for the life of her couldn't seem to get a breath in.

A solidity enveloped her acting as her anchor to the present. The only sign that what she was experiencing wasn't fully real. Not anymore. She felt herself being gripped before a weightlessness overtook. Flexing hands found purchase on a soft fabric and dug in as the world moved past. Past and present crashing over one another like waves in a storm.

A voice was just out of reach. The continuous agony blocking it from her reach until it became clearer. It spoke but one word. "Henry". Though she knew not where the disembodied voice came from, Regina did now know what to do. Focusing on her son. The memories of his first words. First steps. How he used to babble endless nonsense whenever she was near and clap at the first sight of snow. The way he learnt to read and grew right before her. Mending the broken heart she'd hidden just by being her son.

As the memories came easier, so did the air into her lungs. The sounds of past mistakes faded into the background as the clear exhales took over. Clear exhales and the warm lilt of his voice. Far clearer than it was previously. As though a veil had been lifted from around her and suddenly he was not the same as he was before. Now this man something more. Dangerous. Beautiful. Secure.

Before her reeling mind could fully comprehend what was happening, Regina leant forwards. Firmly grasping the lapels of his shirt, she let her lips meet his in a passionate kiss and for the first time in forever, just let herself feeling something other than anger, pain and regret. For the first time in forever, she let herself feel comfort.


End file.
